


Until Death Do Us Part - ON HIATUS

by NekoTiara



Series: ColdFlash Week 2017B [4]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Anal Sex, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Changelings, Dialogue Heavy, Dragons, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fae & Fairies, First Proper Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Henry is not in prison, Historical Inaccuracy, Ifrit - Freeform, LONG CHAPTER, Lewis is dead too, M/M, Magical Creatures, Marriage of Convenience, Merpeople, Mildly Dubious Consent, Miscarriage, Misunderstandings, Multi, Nora is still dead, Not Eddie though, Not abusive past, Nymphs - Freeform, On Hiatus, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Ronnie is also dead, Shapeshifters - Freeform, Slow Burn, Succubus, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-01-09 04:34:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 55,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12268992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoTiara/pseuds/NekoTiara
Summary: Prince Bartholomew 'Barry' Allen of the Werewolves kingdom is to be married to King Leonard 'Len' Snart of the Dragons kingdom and everyone is invited to their wedding.This will be on hiatus until the author grows a pair and finish writing the whole story before posting a new chapter.I'm sorry and please don't get offended if you see me post something else without finishing this one :)





	1. The Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be continued because the plot bunnies demand me to keep on writing this. If it's awful, I apologise. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are highly appreciated!

It had been a political marriage. Dragons and werewolves had been trying to create an alliance for as long as anyone could remember but there was always something missing. People disagreeing on some point or another, most of the time it was that dragons and werewolves were too different too even mingle. So, when the King of Werewolves died and his son, Henry Allen took the throne, it was his son who came up with the solution. 

“If we show them that we can work together, that we are not that different, maybe they would finally admit that this can work.” Famous last words of a young prince that had barely started to live. 

Prince Bartholomew ‘Barry’ Allen was barely legal - even for human standards - but he was a promising heir to the throne. He was smart, caring and kind. His father was really proud to share his son’s idea with the council. Henry should have known better. The council - despite him being the King, held a great amount of power on its own. Their reply was simple.

“Dragons are powerful creatures and they work with logic but they are traditional, they need more than words, my lord.” The spokesman was a man that Henry despised. He always treated his father with respect but underneath it, there was something dark and hateful. Hell, even the way he say ‘my lord’ now was mockingly. “If we want to prove them that we are not that different, we should allow interspecie marriage. Offer them something they can refuse, like a political marriage. That way, others might see that we are serious about this alliance.”

“I might be a widower, Councilman Thawne but I’m sure that they wouldn’t want me to marry their King.” Some of the other councilmen snickered and Thawne smirked.

“That’s why I wasn’t speaking of you, my lord, but of your son. Prince Bartholomew would be the most logical option here. Also, King Leonard would appreciate the beauty and youth of the Prince.” Henry felt his blood disappear from his face and, as he looked around for support just to find none, he realise that this had been a bad idea. “We have already voted. It’s unanimous. Also, the message has already been sent and King Snart would be receiving it soon. We expect a reply within the next few days.”

Henry left the Council with a new weight added to his shoulders. Still, Barry surprised him and made him feel even prouder when he accepted his fate without making a fuss. As a matter of fact, his son comforted him with a sad smile.

“Father, arranged marriages aren’t something new and it makes sense that it’s me who gets married. Like grandpa would have said ‘being of royalty means sacrifices are to be done. Being a good King means avoiding those sacrifices are made by your people.’ Also, maybe King Snart doesn’t want to get married.” His son hugged him. “Everything will work out, I promise.” 

Barry went directly to his room and lean against the closed door at his back. He felt sick. He wanted to cry so badly but he couldn’t do it. His teacher, Mr. Wells had told him that this alliance would save both werewolves and dragons. If getting married to the dragon’s king was what it took, then Barry would do it voluntarily and without making a fuss. His grandfather had spent all his life trying to get the dragons to agree and had died without making progress. If his dad was able to work it out with King Snart, then his position as the king of werewolves wouldn’t be questioned. Barry needed to do this. He wasn’t going to cry or scream or protest. He was a good prince, a good heir to the throne. He went to bed knowing that he had to make sure that he seemed optimistic about this. 

 

It took three whole days. Barry knew it wasn’t much but for him it was like waiting for a death sentence. His father had been out more and more, with the council, with his own men and women, until one day he arrived with a letter. His somber face said everything as he handed him the letter. Barry took his time to observe the outside. The envelop was white except where the blue ink had marred it. His father’s name was graved on an elegant handwriting style. It wasn’t one of the council’s handwriting and they normally stuck to either black or green. He opened the envelop carefully and extracted the letter. The paper was of excellent quality though the ink had changed from cerulean blue to a deep blue that was almost black. 

Barry skimmed through most of it, eyes focused on the answer and the name at the bottom of the letter: ‘King Leonard Snart’. Wasn’t Lewis Snart the King of Dragons? Again to the beginning only one sentence mattered. ‘The King shall wed the Prince of the Werewolves.’ So, that settled it. Barry took a deep breath and looked at his father with a practiced smile. 

“What happened to Lewis Snart? I thought he was the king.” His stomach was in knots but he tried to keep his voice leveled. 

“He was, but he died a few years back and his older son took the throne. He is an ice dragon from what I gathered and cold-hearted. But people around their territory claim that he is fiercely protective and fair. Maybe we can work with him.” Once his son and the dragon married apparently. “I will make sure that you are treated well, Barry. I promise that you won’t be in any danger.”

“Father, I believe that no one would hurt me while I’m in dragons’ land when their king had been described as ‘fiercely protective’.” He took his father’s hands and squeezed them. “Everything is going to be well.” 

That got his father to be smiling during dinner. Though the strained smile never reached his eyes, Barry tried to act accordingly. The meeting with his soon-to-be husband was going to be in a week, the time it took to prepare the wedding. The dragons were going to fly to werewolves’ land and they had made a few requests through the council. Barry was to be prepared in anything related to dragons while his father took everything else into his hands. People were in high spirits and their prince wondered if it was because there was a wedding to plan and attend to. 

The following week went by without Barry being aware of it. His routine was to wake up, study with Mr. Wells, make some breaks to eat and go to bed. The only difference was the day he spent with the seamstress who made his wedding robes. He got to say that it was beautiful. The colour of his family was red and gold while the colours of his soon to be husband were blue and silver. His clothes for the wedding day were different shades of blue, as symbol of surrender to the dragon king. The pants in clear blue, almost white actually, so was the dressing shirt, while the vest and jacket were in deep blue. The only details in golden where the bottoms of the jacket and the lining of his robe which was a shade darker than the vest and jacket. It was made with soft cloth, tight but not uncomfortable. He was glad that the knee boots were black leather, though. He was supposed to stand on those the whole day and night and he had seen what other grooms had to wear for their wedding. 

So, a week passed and the fateful day arrived. The dragons had asked for a wide place for landing. The letter had said that it was going to be a party of ten dragons in total: the king, his sister, his most trusted friend, three guards, their medical expert and three servants. Barry and his father were on the front line, two guards posted by their side, Joe and his partner Eddie - nothing like his cousin - with his wife Iris to Eddie’s right while Wally stood by Joe’s left side. He considered these people more family than friends. The first to arrive was a dragon covered in red and orange scales with black as coal eyes, when he landed he looked like a flame came to life. Barry didn’t dare to move when those eyes fell onto him, he couldn’t show any negative reaction. The second and third dragon were smaller than the first one, the one that stood to the right was black with yellow eyes, it had blue scales scattered around the eyes, the other one was completely white except for the eyes, those shone in an impossible blue colour. It was the smallest of the three, specially considering that she landed close to the flame-like dragon. 

His father pointed to the sky and Barry followed his direction. Seven dragons were circling up there like waiting for their time to come down. There was a roar from the glade, when Barry turned it was to see that the sound came from the black dragon. After the quiet reigned again, two more dragons landed. They were both the same at first sight, but after closer inspection, one was more purplish than black with violet eyes, the other was greenish with white eyes that made Barry felt uneasy and looked up again, waiting for the other five dragons to come down. Which one was their king? Probably the last one to land. The roar was proof that they had been expecting trouble but found none. He had to smile at that and look at his father. Werewolves and dragons weren’t that different and this was just the first proof that he had been right. 

A second later two dragons came down. Barry’s eyes were drawn to the one that had landed a barely fifty feet from him and his father. It was immense, his scale were an intense blue, except for the scales that run along his wings, those were almost white, the web of the wings were sky blue, it made Barry feel like he was looking through ice. Unlike the others dragons surrounding it, this one had two horns curved in a silver tone and spines along the back and tail in the same time. Despite everything, the most striking feature of the dragon were its eyes. They were like sapphires with a black slit that looked more like a cut in two gemstones. It was breathtaking on its own right. 

“Barry, he is the King.” Whispered his father at vocal subtone, enough for his son to heard him but not anyone else. “The copper one is the princess Lisa Snart.” 

Barry looked to the last dragon that had landed. It was copper, like his father had said, except those spots where the sunlight hit the scale, then the scales turned to gold. The eyes were the same tone. When those two had ascertained the werewolves in front of them, there was another roar as a signal for the last three to land. Barry looked at them. They landed at the farthest end of the glare. The three of them were brown with yellow eyes. Barry knew the second they arrived that those three were the servants. He was surprised to see that the servants were the most protected. 

In a blink the glare was filled with light, such a blinding light that the werewolves were forced to closed their eyes. When Barry opened his, it was to look at five men and five women, though the first one he looked for was the man closer to him. Leonard Snart was as breathtaking in his human form as he was in his dragon one. He stood tall and proud, he was the same height as Barry, maybe an inch taller with his hair cut in a buzz, he was surprised to see that despite what he knew about dragons, his soon to be husband had salt and pepper hair. He had the same shade of blue in both forms, too blue to be considered human-like. His cheekbones were sharp and his nose was as thin as his lips. It took all his willpower to not go over him and look up close to his face, it would have been pretty rude of him. 

The dragons walked up to them, slowly forming a line. He was glad that despite everything, King Snart stood in the center but at the same height as his people, it gave the impression that beside fiercely protective, he was humble enough to not believe himself more important than his companions. The young werewolf wondered how the man treated the rest of his kingdom’s people. His grandfather had said once that to know a man, you had to watch how he treated his inferiors, not his equals. He found himself smiling a bit, because Leonard Snart was making a hell of a first impression. 

“King Allen, Prince Allen.” That voice. Barry almost squirm at that voice. He had to take a deep breath when he nodded in the direction of King Snart. “Thank you for coming to pick us up. This are my companions.” As he moved the hand from right to left, he was introducing them. “Mark Mardon, my captain, Caitlin Snow and Hartley Rathaway, fierce warriors, Shawna Baez, my medical expert, Mick Rory, most trusted friend, my sister, Princess Lisa Snart, my beloved servants, Eloine, John and their younger brother, Gawain.” 

“King Snart, Princess Snart. It’s our pleasure to have you in our lands. This are my guard co-captain, Joe West and Eddie Thawne, his wife Iris Thawne and his brother, Wally West.” There were nods of acknowledgement from both sides. 

“We were very pleased that you send such an offer to meet. A wedding is always a great occasion among dragons.” Barry noted that Lisa was smiling in his direction with interest. “Though for a moment we thought it was you marrying my brother. Closer in age and all that.”

“Well, I’m a widower, not a good enough candidate.” His father turned to his side, dead serious. Barry’s mother, Nora had died before Barry could have any memory of her, but a huge part of his father’s heart had been buried with her, so Barry knew she had been a great mate. “If you may, the carriages are this way.”

They walked the hundred feet or so that separated the glade from the main road where three carriages were waiting for them. In the first one were both kings, the prince and the princess and to no one’s surprise, Mick Rory. In the second were Joe and Wally with Hartley Rathaway, Shawna Baez and Caitlin Snow, while in the last were Eddie and Iris and the three servants. Leonard Snart was sitting right across Barry and despite his efforts, the young prince couldn’t look at the dragon’s eyes directly. 

“I hope I’m a pleasant surprise for the young prince, King Allen.” His father looked at him and smile. “It looks painfully obvious that he can’t even look at his soon to be husband.” 

“Don’t worry, Barry is awfully shy sometimes.” He felt his cheeks burning up in mortification. “You should let him warm up a little.” 

“I don’t know, that’s a nice shade of Scarlet.” The princess and Mr. Rory snickered playfully. “Whose idea was this marriage?”

“Barry, why don’t you explain to our guest how this came to be?” It took him a few seconds to look over at the dragon. 

“It wasn’t supposed to be a wedding.” Again, he had to look away. “My idea was to work a way to get our people to understand that despite us being different species, that we could live together, at peace, work side by side. I thought that maybe that way, they would ask for a formal alliance between our species.”

He felt two cold fingers under his chin and he was left looking at two sapphires once again, this time there was no way to look away without being rude and the smirk pulling at King Snart’s lips wasn’t helping. 

“You’re a smart one, aren’t you, Scarlet?” He cursed his easiness to blush. He was glad when the king looked at his father. “I understand that you weren’t thinking of marrying off your only son, right?”

“That’s the Council’s doing. They thought it was the fastest way to have an alliance.” His father’s hand was in his knee. “I wanted my son to find his mate on his own, like I did with his mother. But he’s not only smart, he is a sacrificing idiot and my father did a good job educating him in the ways of being a king.” There was sadness dripping of Henry’s voice. “Once you two get to know each other, you will see it for yourself.”

“I’m eager to get to know your son. Isn’t there a banquet tonight?” Henry nodded. “Then it’s going to be the perfect occasion to get to know each other, Barry.”

“Yes, my King.” His name said in that voice was devastating. 

“You can call me Len, after all, we’re going to be married really soon.” He couldn’t do this! When were they going to arrive at the castle!? 

Luckily for him, the ride was short and made in silence after their short conversation. He wondered if the rest of the carriages were in the same state. It wasn’t uncomfortable, the dragons were admiring the views of the kingdom from the windows, Lisa seemed thrilled to be in a different kingdom and Barry noted that she was like an innocent child with every person they passed. Still, he couldn’t breathe naturally until they were out of the carriage at the doors of their castle. Mostly because the guard and several servants were there to receive them. He smiled at a few soldiers he knew well. 

“Miss Mary and Mr. Jonas will take you to your rooms. They will have your baths prepared for you and we shall meet for dinner. Mr. Peter will show you to the dining room.” Henry explained as three servants took a step forward and bowed profoundly. “We will see you soon.” His father disappear through a side door with Eddie and Joe on his step. Iris and Wally went in the direction of the kitchen and Barry was left standing by the dragons. 

“Well, what are you waiting for, people? We are wasting this nice people’s time. Prince Barry.” King, no, Len - and there he was blushing again - bowed at him and followed Mary and Jonas to the West side of the castle with his companions behind him. “Your prince seems like an outstanding person.”

“He is, my lord.” Jonas said proudly. “Such a promising King.”

“Indeed, and he doesn’t mind getting his hands a little dirty to help us, mere servants, when he is done with his studies.” Mary continued. Len noted that both servants were at ease around them, hell, everyone they had crossed so far looked like they didn’t mind having dragons in their land. 

“He is really smart even for his young age! Our late King,” Jonas stopped in front of a portrait of an old man and pointed at him with reverence. “Paul Allen, made sure that his grandson studied as much as possible.”

“Interesting. You got yourself a very interesting, young consort, Lenny. I wish I could find someone so interesting.” The rest of the dragons laughed out loud at their princess’ wording. 

“Lisa…” He groaned. She had been mercilessly mocking him since they found out that he was going to marry a youngling. 

“Here are your chambers, my lord.” Jonas opened a few doors. Len’s was in the middle while the rest were all side by side. Lisa took the one to his right and Mick the one to his left. The rest moved from there. “We will be right back to prepare your bath, my highness.” 

Len sighed pleasantly. He was waiting for some random room, but this one was truly amazing. It was large enough to be considered a house. It was divided into a hall with two door, ones to his room and the other to a bathroom. Len noticed that the windows overlooked the back gardens. What he saw didn’t surprise him at all. There were people working on it with enthusiasm, including some young ladies that were moving as if they were dancing and laughing. It didn’t take a genius to know that it was where the wedding was to take place tomorrow, thus such good humour. He found himself smiling when a few kids joined the people working with flowers in their tiny arms. This was an arranged marriage, but Barry was beautiful, his servants spoke highly of him and the werewolves’ land was one filled with life and joy. There wasn’t any way he wasn’t going to enjoy this. 

Looking back to his bedroom he took notice of the large bed covered in fur, he caressed it with curiosity, it was soft under his fingertips, warm. There was a bureau in the corner and a mirror by its side. It was a simple room but heartwarming. It spoke volume about the owner of the house. Simplicity and usefulness above showing off their wealthness. He knew werewolves were rich and prosper. He had been glad when the marriage proposal was sent to him, mostly because their union was not only an alliance but a merge of their goods. Dragon loved treasures too much to not be as filthy rich as they wanted. It was good that Barry wasn’t just an outstanding suitor in property, but the hatchling was beautiful - that was the first word that had come to his mind when he saw the kid, lean, emerald for eyes and a skin that looked just too smooth to be real - but smart and kind. 

Len was glad that Lewis was dead, his father had never been a good ruler, too opposed to other creatures to even think straight when it came to his kingdom’s future. His death and Len’s ascension to the throne had given the current ruler a one time chance to help his country and its people to move forward. Barry was going to be a nice addition to his plans for both kingdoms. He was already thinking ten steps ahead of what he needed to do to get his plans become their reality when suddenly, a knock on his door interrupted his train of thoughts. 

“Come in.” The door was opened and an army of twenty servants came inside carrying buckets of hot water to prepare his bath. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, my lord. My name is Trixie, I will be in charge of your bath time.” The young woman was blond with grey eyes and fair skin, nothing too special. Len wondered if it was a way to prevent him from having an affair before his wedding. “Do you need help undressing?”

“No, it’s alright.” He sat on a chair next to the tub that was being slowly filled. More and more servants entered with new buckets of water while he took off his clothes. Once he was undressed, he noticed that everyone had left already and only Trixie remained, her eyes casted low. “Well, where do you want me?”

She signaled the tub and he dived in, enjoying the feeling of hot water over his sore muscles. Even a dragon as old as him would get sore after such a long travel. Trixie brought up a piece of clothes and soap and started to wash him in silence. She looked quite focused on her task at hand. Would Barry do the same once they were married? He had studied but what exactly? He looked at Trixie and smiled.

“Trixie, can I ask you a question?” The female werewolf nodded without pausing on her job. “What has our young prince studied?”

“Well, your highness, he has studied so far history, diplomacy, economics, literature, protocol…” That was quite the achievement. “Weaponry, hand-on-hand combat, but between us, he is not a warrior, he is known among the soldiers as their speedy because of how fast he can run though. And he used to study to be a strategist, but his mentor left and he hadn’t picked it up since then.” 

“I see, thank you.” He relaxed but his mind was going a mile a second. The servant hadn’t mentioned amatory arts, so Len would bet his money on the fact that the kid was a virgin, which he wasn’t surprised as Barry was barely legal according to the Council’s letter. 

Once Trixie left him to dry on his own - per his request - and he had dressed with black slacks and a grey shirt, he was ready for dinner. He decided to wander around the castle for a bit, maybe he could find the dining room on his own. It was also a chance to explore, as Barry was going to move to his lands once they were married. The West side was empty except for them, so he left it behind and ended up in the East wing. He saw portraits of people he didn’t knew about and was grateful for the little names under the paintings. He stopped in front of one of a woman with reddish hair and blue eyes, the little medal said ‘Nora Allen’. So, this woman was Barry’s mother.  
“She died giving birth.” He turned around and there stood the young prince. He wasn’t looking at Len but at his mother’s portrait. “After the doctor delivered me, they couldn’t stop the bleeding. My grandpa used to say that the only reason my father didn’t die along her was because I needed him.”

“Because wolves mate for life.” His reply was a curt nod. “Well, I know where you got your beauty from.” 

“My father says the same.” Barry touched the metal with reverence. “I wish I could have met her, everyone talks highly of her but I don’t have any memory with her. I guess I’m lucky my soon to be husband is long-lived.” 

“I guess you are.” Barry smiled and Len stared at him with curiosity. “Am I attractive to you, Barry?” His blunt question was rewarded with a deep blush that made Len smirk. “Because you seem incapable of looking at me for more than a few seconds at a time.”

“I’m sorry. You are very handsome, but your eyes…” So the hatchling was intimidated. “They are just so intense…” Their eyes met for a second before Barry looked at his mother again. “It feels like, like I’m bare, like you can see to the depths of my soul. It’s not a bad feeling, just new, I guess.” 

“Well, I plan on baring you. On our wedding night, I mean. We are expected to consummate our marriage as soon as possible.” Barry was chewing on his lower lip and Len found the motion tantalizing. “Unless you prefer to wait until we get to know each other.”

The statement seemed to surprised - in a good way - the prince, to the point that it got him turning to him so fast that Len worried he would snap his neck. 

“Would you… would you wait?” Oh, so the kid was a virgin. 

“I’m a patient man, Barry, and I want you to enjoy our sex life to its fullest. So, of course I’ll wait until you feel ready to give yourself to me.” He brought up a hand, unable to resist from touching that skin, to learn if it was as smooth as it looked. As he caress the kid’s cheek - which was once again reddening under his knuckles - he decided that it was as smooth as he had imagined it to be. “Because when you decide that you’re ready for me, I plan on taking you apart, make you crave my touch and only mine. Dragons can be possessive, and I’m the most possessive one of them all.”

Someone rang a bell somewhere down the corridor and the moment shared between them was shattered. 

“T-that’s the call for dinner. I’ll show you the way to the dining room.” Before the kid could get too far, Len grabbed his wrist and pull him back. “L-len?”

“One last question, kid, and I rather ask this without people overhearing, in case it’s private.” He got closer to the prince. “Is it true what your Council claim?” Barry frowned in confusion. “Can you or can you not give me an heir?”

Barry’s whole face turned red in a second before he nodded in mortification. Len smirked. 

“You’re the whole package, Scarlet. Now, lead the way.” Barry turned around still as red as his family’s colours. Len definitely had hit jackpot with this kid. 

Dinner was uneventful, everyone keep talking about the upcoming wedding, though Len and Henry were happy to see that both parties were as enthusiastic about the event that they had forgotten about their differences. Barry was talking with Lisa and Mark and Shawna keep asking Iris questions about werewolves’ customs related to weddings. Henry explained to Len how tomorrow’s wedding was going to bring a lot of people to the castle, after all the entire kingdom had been invited. He also informed his fellow king about the following banquet and party. 

“I was hoping to leave after the ceremony, my kingdom has been left without its king and the most important people.” Henry looked deceptioned. “I might be able to stay for a few hours if that’s your wish, but I can stay three days.”

“We can leave as soon as you want, your highness.” Barry interrupted them. “The party is going to happen either if we are here or not.”

“Well, that’s true, but I don’t know when I will be able to visit, son.” Henry’s heart ached already.

“We can trade cards, father. And maybe I can drop by from time to time.” Len didn’t say anything about that, he wasn’t going to keep the kid a prisoner but as he had claimed before, dragons were possessive and having one’s consort leaving once and again was going to be a pain. “For short visits, I mean.”

But as Henry smiled, Len found himself unable to say a word against it. Barry’s words came back to mind and he sighed. He supposed he would have to learn to live with it. For the sake of their marriage. 

The kitchen staff picked up their dishes and everyone went back to their rooms, still chatting about tomorrow. Len stood in front of his window. The garden was illuminated with a thousand lamps so he could admire how the servant’s job had paid off. It was a beautiful sight and he guessed that they had overdone themselves because it was going to be the last day Barry was going to be in the castle for a long period of time. He went to bed alone for the last time and let his mind wander to his soon to be consort. Barry Allen-Snart sounded right after meeting the kid. 

 

The day of the wedding was hectic. As soon as he was done with breakfast, his room was overtaken by people. He didn’t have time to stop: first the bath, then the grooming, dressing up in his black clothes and taken to the garden. Henry had been right, there were so many people there that if it hadn’t been for Peter’s sense of direction, he would have been late to his wedding. He was introduced to the council, he paid them no attention, except for Eobard Thawne. The man gave off an evil vibe, like he was waiting to strike out despite his smiling face. He noticed how a lot of people avoided the man. His eyes were drawn to the other Thawne he knew and wondered how it was possible that those two were even related. Where Councilman Thawne was avoided at all costs, Co-captain Thawne was seeked, stopped every few steps to be greeted and adored. He took note to ask Barry later. 

Speaking of Barry, he was standing beside the priest, people was sitting - or standing around - but the young prince had yet to make his appearance. The silence was almost unbearable, Len looked at Henry on the front line, the man was smiling with his eyes closed. Was he lost in some memory or just happy that his son was going to be cared for? The music took Len by surprise, he hadn’t even noticed the band until the instruments were played. Instead of looking for them, he followed everyone’s gaze and found his young prince. Barry was standing at the end of the aisle. Dressed in the dragon’s colours, looking fresh and pure, Barry looked ravishing. His steps never faltered, his eyes never left Len’s figure and he stopped right in front of the kind. 

“You look beautiful, Barry.” He whispered and the priest smiled. 

“Very beautiful, my prince. Shall we begin?” Len almost snorted at the priest’s words, but nodded instead. “We gather here today to unite these two people in marriage. Their union marks a before and after in our lives and in our future. The essence of this commitment is the acceptance of each other in entirety, as lover, companion, and friend. A good and balanced relationship is one in which neither person is possessive of the other,” Len smiled at that part, he knew it was going to get him to smile! “nor absorbed by the other. Marriage, ideally, is sharing of responsibilities, hopes and dreams. In the case of these two people, to align their interests to those of their kingdoms that today unite as one too.”

There was a pause and Iris and Mick took a step forward. Mick was holding a small case in which rested a necklace and a ring, both in platinum and with the coat of arms of the dragons, Iris’ case had the same items, but in gold and with the coat of arms of the werewolves. The priest went on.

“Do you both pledge to share your lives openly with one another? Do you promise to honor and care for each other, cherish and encourage each other, stand together, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your lives?” 

“We do.” Len was glad that Barry was looking at him instead of looking at the ground beneath them. 

“Then, may these items be blessed as a symbol of your union. As often as either of you look upon these, may you not only be reminded of this moment, but also of the vows you have made and the strength of your commitment to each other and each other’s kingdoms.” The priest turned to Len, the signal that it was showtime. “Leonard Snart, please…”

“I, Leonard Snart, promise to support you, Bartholomew and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring and this necklace I thee wed.” He turned around and took first the necklace that he placed around Barry’s neck, he was glad they shared their height. Then he placed the ring on Barry’s finger. 

“Bartholomew Henry Allen?”

“I, Bartholomew Henry Allen,promise to support you, Leonard Snart and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor and passion. With this ring and this necklace I thee wed.” The same process was repeated with Barry’s items. Once they were placed, Len noticed how Barry was starting to blush. 

“Go now in peace and live sharing the most precious gifts you have, the gifts of your lives and your people’s lives united. And may your days be long on this earth. I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss the groom.” Finally. 

Len took a step forward, a hand reached for Barry’s jaw, the other one around his waist. Barry tilted his head and his eyes fell closed. 

“Until death do us part.” Whispered the dragon when their lips were less than an inch apart. And then he pressed hips lips against Barry’s lips, enjoying the feeling of those soft lips against his. 

“Until death do us part.” Replied Barry when they parted and the clapping started. It was a promise.


	2. First Night Disasters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len and Barry go to the Dragon's Kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I should update I Didn't Want Him to be a Hero and finish ColdFlash week but since I published this one I kept getting more and more ideas (proof of it is the fact that a four lines outline is now a two pages long outline). 
> 
> I apologize for any typo, this is not beta'd and English is not my first language. 
> 
> Reviews are highly appreciated :)

**First Night Disasters**

 

True to his word Len wanted to leave as soon as possible. He had allowed Barry to enjoy the festivities for hours now but his servants were readying his things and he knew that Henry’s people were packing Barry’s stuff. His eyes wandered around the ever growing crowd, searching for his consort. It took him more time that he was willing to accept but when he found him, he smiled. The kid was dancing with his father - or attempting too, since his father was going for a slow pace and the kid was almost vibrating with energy. The dragon almost felt bad about ruining their fun, but they did need to leave as soon as possible. 

 

“You’re doing it again, brother.” He tilted his head towards his sisters in a silent question, his eyes still fixed upon his consort. “You have that look that says ‘I’m a controlling mean dragon and I’m going to order you to do my bidding.’ and with my new brother-in-law, you shouldn’t…”

 

“I’m not going to order him to do anything, Lis.” Lisa chuckled at the fact that he hadn’t said anything about him being a controlling mean dragon. “We need to leave, I don’t want him to throw a tantrum.”

 

“Have you realised that he is not a child? He is not going to do something like that.” He hoped so. “I’m going to get the others then.”

 

With a deep breath, Len walked towards Barry. He noticed how his father had traded places with Iris and now Barry was dancing with Joseph West. When the older werewolf noticed him, he bent over and whispered something. Len really wanted to learn how they did it because he knew they were talking at still, he couldn’t hear a thing. Barry turned around and for a second their eyes met, Barry’s cheek were dusted in red, his smile so bright, his normal emerald eyes were almost black with the barest hint of green. Len had to make a real effort to not let his mind wander. He noticed how with every step he took, Barry smile faltered a little bit more, the red turning a deep scarlet and his eyes looking anywhere but at him. When they were almost toe to toe, people retreating slightly. His consort body was tense under her eyes and it didn’t sit well with him. 

 

“May I have this dance?” He offered his hand but his eyes never left Barry’s face. He notice the band had changed to a slow paced song, for the grooms. Barry bite his lower lip, and took his hand. 

 

“Of course, your highness.” Len placed his free hand at his waist and lead their dancing. Barry could feel every eyes on them as they moved slowly. “I feel like they have been waiting for this since the ceremony.”

 

“Probably. I guessed we could let them have this before we leave.” Barry’s back tensed under his hand. “Our staff is packing both your belongings and mine as we speak, Lisa is gathering the rest of the dragons.”

 

“As you wish.” He couldn’t see the young wolf face, maybe it was for the better. “Can I say my farewells?”

 

“Of course. It would be rude of us to leave without saying so.” He just hoped those farewells were to his father and closest friends. “Just keep them short, otherwise we would be flying in the dark.”

 

The song ended and with a mutual bow, they parted. Barry turned around fast but not fast enough. With a sigh, Len went to look for his sister and ignore the unshed tears in his consort’s eyes. Yet, once he was out the improvised dancefloor, his gaze wandered until he found the kid hugging his father like it was the last time they were going to see each other. He couldn’t help but wonder if the werewolves were all like that, if it was just the royal house or if it was normal in general and he was the one too detached. 

 

“My lord?” Gawain stood by his side, keeping the distance but not three steps behind like he used to. It had taken a lot of work to get his people to understand that they weren’t less than their king. “Your luggage has been packed and we are ready to leave.”

 

“What about Barry’s?” He should have brought another dragon to help carry the young prince’s stuff. 

 

“Ready as well, my king.” Len nodded and looked again towards Barry’s direction. 

 

“Tell the other I will be right there.” With that, he walked up to his father-in-law and his consort. “We are ready to leave.”

 

“Ok.” Henry squeezed his son’s forearm. Len noticed that the man looked ten years older, though it was probably the lightning. “Promise to write to your old man, Barr.”

 

“I promise, father. I will visit soon enough, though.” Len had to keep himself from fidgeting at those words. “Take care of yourself, if Iris tells me you aren’t, I’ll pester you.” 

 

“You’re never a pester, my child.” Henry pressed a kiss on the prince’s forehead. “Leonard, take care of my boy.”

 

“Will do, Henry.” Barry’s smile was strained as they left and once they were in the carriage, it disappeared completely. “I’m sorry we had to leave so early, kid.”

 

“It’s fine.” Barry closed his eyes with his forehead pressed against the window of the carriage. “Leaving now or later, the… ache would have been the same.”

 

They didn’t speak another word until they reached the glade prepared for their take off. From his people, only Mick - in his dragon form - and Lisa - in her human form - were still there. He had wanted to talk with John so that he could prepare a room for Barry. Back to when he had decided to marry a werewolf, he had ordered for his bedroom to be moved to a bigger one. Hell, he had expected to claim his consort the same night they were to arrive to his kingdom. Now he had made a promise to the hatchling and that bedroom? Yeah, it wouldn’t do. 

 

“Lisa will help you to mount me, Barry.” The scandalised look in his consort’s face and his fast reddening face made Len smirk and he whispered. “Not that kind of ‘mount’, Red. I did promise I was going to wait, didn’t I?”

 

“Don’t worry, cutie, Lenny is very skilled, you won’t even notice you’re flying.” Len morphed and laid down. “It’s like mounting a horse, grab this spike and one leg up. Hold on tight to the spike and don’t worry, they won’t break and it doesn’t hurt Lenny.” He felt Lisa move around him attaching a leather belt to the spike immediately behind Barry. “This goes around your mid and you’re ready to go.” 

 

Len got up slowly, feeling his prince shifting uncomfortable. It occurred to him that wolves weren’t probably used to ride, not even a horse. Should have thought of it before, but well… Barry would have to get used to ride on the back of dragon. Lisa pressed her head against his neck and took off easily, Mick followed her. Stretching his wings, Len took off too, glad that the kid was holding to him as tight as possible. He was also kind of proud about him not screaming, with a look he saw the kid had his eyes closed and his knuckles were white with how strongly he was gripping to his husband. He had intended to show Barry how fun flying was, but he was probably too afraid and Len decided that he was going to play safe and make the flight as steady as possible. They had a few hours ahead of them and it was better if his consort arrived to his new home alive. 

 

He was glad when Barry seemed to relax after a while. His legs weren't digging against his sides. With a quick glance to his back, he saw the kid looking down, pale as a candle. Len dived down while passing a lake. His hind legs touching the otherwise calm surface of the water. He was rewarded with a caress to his neck. As they neared the end of the lake, Len moved up, reuniting with Lisa and Mick. 

 

The rest of the journey was uneventful, except when night falled and he felt Barry relax even more against his skin. With another look he confirmed that the kid had fallen. It was for the best in Len’s opinion. Though if he was honest with himself, he was going to miss the view to his new home. He was proud of his state and the views from the air were the best way to appreciate it all. 

 

They were received with the castle integrated into the mountain, taking advantage to create tunnels to hide the non-warriors among his people. The town surrounded the castle and the huge walls protecting the houses in case of an attack. The towers were lit with bonfires and Mick roared to announce their presence. Len felt Barry jerk up and hold onto him. There was a surprised gasp and Len smiled internally. It was a pity that it was night, during daylight Barry would appreciate the sophisticated architecture, the white stone used to built his castle, the green gardens and the fields well cared for. 

 

Mick was the first to land in front of the castle, where they had a place for everyone's use. Lisa followed suit and Len was the last to arrive. He laid down and a servant rushed to his side to help Barry dismount. Len shifted and stood by Barry’s side, ready to support him, his legs looked shaky. 

 

“Welcome, my Lords.” Jefferson nodded and moved to their side, the guards forming two lines at each side of the newcomers. “Your new bedroom is prepare, your highness.”

 

Yeah, and that wasn’t going to do it. He frowned and looked sideways to Barry. Maybe the kid wouldn’t be contrary to sleeping together, pretend that they got along more than they did. Facing forward again, he nodded. 

 

“Brother, are you going to join Mick, Cait and I for dinner or you want to get as soon as possible to your new bedroom?” Mick smirked and Len felt a headache coming. “I can get you something sent to your bedroom.”

 

Barry looked like a lost puppy, eyes going from Lisa and Mick to Len over and over again. Len growled and ignored her sister’s taunting. Hell, she had reverted to her normal self now that she wasn’t on foreign territory and she was going to mock Len until his dying breath. Guess that was what little sisters did. 

 

“Lise, you…” Barry tugged his sleeve and Len’s eyes met those innocent, big eyes. Was it a plea? “Send something to our bedroom, Barry needs to sleep after such a long day.” 

 

With that and a hand resting against the small of Barry's back, he hurried the hatchling inside the castle. Jefferson was guiding them to their room and bowed before leaving them alone. Len noticed immediately that they weren't in the same wing the actual King’s bedroom was. He was glad of it since it had been his father's bedroom and not even burning every piece of furniture in it Len would consider it clean enough to use. 

 

No, choosing a new bedroom was a better option. And Jefferson had made a good choice. The bedroom was big enough for two people to use. The bed was large with four posts and thick curtains. At its feet was a wooden trunk with delicate engravings. The window had a balcony with a small table and two chairs, Len didn't need to go out to see what laid out there. What he preferred to think of was what he could do to Barry out there. He turned around to not keep thinking of that. He realised that there was a fireplace lit, which explained why it was so warm. There was a bear rug in front of it and a small wooden table by its side. He liked it a lot and Barry would appreciate the warm. In front of the bed were two doors, he didn't need to enter neither to know the one to the right was the dressing room, filled with shelves. The other was the bathroom. He would like to know how big was the bathtub. 

 

“It’s beautiful.” He was startled with Barry statement and Len turned around. He was surprised to see his cheeks reddening. 

 

“If you want, I can the staff to prepare me another room.” Barry lowered his head and shook it. Len was pleased. “I promise to behave.”

 

“I know it. I… I appreciate your patience.” Barry smiled slowly. Len’s lust was off the charts with the kid. He didn't love Barry, they might learn to love each other with time, but the desire was there. It was impossible not to notice the reddish lips, the lean torso, the long legs and he wasn't going to get started with his perky ass. “It’s very nice of you and understanding.” 

 

“I rather wait now than having you hate it.” It was fine to wait a few months now than tasting Barry one time and then not knowing when he was going to have him again. “So you can say it’s because of my selfishness.” 

 

“It makes sense, I guess.” Barry stood by the fireplace, deep in thought. “But… won’t we be expected to consummate this marriage?”

 

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Len shrugged. Their conversation was cut short by a knock on the door. “Must be dinner. Come in!”

 

The door was opened and two maids came in with two identical trays of food, a manservant was behind with a jar of what Len supposed was wine. He had expected their dinner to be bread and cheese, but he was glad when he say that beside the bread and cheese, there was meat and fruit. He was going to thank his kitchen staff tomorrow morning. They set the table outside with a candle between the trays and the wine jar. He offered Barry his arm like the gentleman he was. Barry took it and he noticed that this time, their eyes met for more than a few seconds. Maybe Henry had been right and the kid just needed to warm up to him. 

 

“It’s a pity it’s night time. I really want to see what lays outside.” Barry gaze longingly to the dark surrounding the castle. 

 

“You aren’t missing much, the gardens are beautiful and the town as well, but beyond the walls, there is nothing.” Barry frowned, obviously confused. “There used to be a forest surrounding the walls, but centuries ago it was burned to the ground and nothing has grown since then, which is better for us.”

 

“But… there must be a forest nearby, right?” Len notice the small distress in his consort’s voice. 

 

“The closest forest is in the farthest border of our land, it was the one we passed by. Though the majority of it belongs to the Elves and the Faes. It’s almost a day away from here by horse.” Len picked his fork with a smirk. Lisa had sent them the finest silverware they had. “Bon appetit.”

 

“Thank you.” Barry focused on his food while Len did the same. 

 

However, the young wolf’s mind wasn’t on the taste of the food or the high quality of it. No, his mind went to his father’s kingdom. The werewolves were creatures of the forest after all! They ran and enjoyed hunting and discovering new paths and his ancestors had allow the forest to grow and grow, adapting their people’s homes to it once and again. Still, here, on this foreign land, no at his new home, he would need a day of travelling to get to the nearest forest. He felt his wolf stirring up, clawing at the inside of his skin in desperation, howling to be free, urging the human to run away as soon as possible. The human fought for control as he held the knowledge that he wasn’t on his father’s land, but on his husband’s. New home, new rules. The wolf whined in agony already. It had been just a few hours since he left his home, the forest he knew like the back of his hand. Still, the newfound knowledge of what awaited him out there had sent a panic wave through him, his wolf was reacting to it badly. There wasn’t anything that Barry could do now. 

 

“Will I be allowed to…?” He needed to know, he really did, but his sudden courage died the moment his husband’s eyes met his. “I mean… I k-know, I know it’s weird to ask but…”

 

“Ask away, Scarlet.” Len was encouraging him to voice whatever was bothering him. After all, he had promised Henry that his kid was going to be cared for. 

 

“It’s… silly.” He swallowed around the lump in his throat and it didn’t went unnoticed how the dragon’s eyes turned more blue when they focused on his neck. “Where am I allowed to go?”

 

He was cheating asking such a broad question, but it felt silly to ask if he was allowed to shift and run to the forest! 

 

“You’re my consort, kid, not my prisoner. Now, eat before your meat gets cold.” Barry nodded, a wave of relief coming over his wrecked nerves. He focused on his food then, more relaxed than a few minutes ago. 

 

For the rest of their meal, neither said a word. Barry was already making plans to go to the forest, Len’s mind was going over their conversation. Something in Barry’s voice showed the barely hint of fear or maybe desperation. It might have been his tired state too. Nothing he had said could provoke fear in the hatchling in front of him. While they enjoyed dinner in a comfortable silence, the servants kept coming, this time with water for the bath. Given the amount of buckets that were used, the bathtub had to be huge. Len liked the idea. They finished their wine, Barry looked quite flushed. Kid was probably not used to have more than a glass of wine and the jar had been filled to the top. Lisa’s idea, probably. 

 

“Why don’t you go and have a bath? That way you can get to bed soon.” Feeling bold, Len caressed Barry’s cheek with his knuckles and smirked at how his blushed went down his neck. “I need to find my sister and talk to her before she gets into bed.”

 

“Of course, your highness.” With a small nod he went to join the maid waiting for the young consort by the bathroom door. 

 

Len left the room but he didn’t go to his sister’s, no, he decided to walk around, get some air before having to share a bed with his virginal consort. Because he had agreed to not touch him until the kid was ready for it. His logic uttered once and again that it was for the best on the long run. His dick disagree because virginity was a treasure - apparently - and he wanted to deflower the sweet little thing waiting in his room. He was blaming the desire to his dragon nature. 

 

“Boss?” He was startled by a voice to his left. Though he knew who it was without checking. “What are you doing here?”

 

With a quick look around he knew that he had walked more than he had intended to. There was also Mick’s mocking tone. His sister was really a bad influence. Len sighed before replying.

 

“I needed some air, think might have too much wine.” Mick’s lips pulled up with mockery. “Lisa’s idea or yours?”

 

“Cait, actually. She thought our young consort might appreciate the buzz. After all, she had seen you naked.” Len wasn’t going to blush or feel ashamed for being well-endowed. No, he wasn’t going to. “Kid looks like he hasn’t seen a proper dick in his life.”

 

“Mick.” It was a warning, not a plea. He would deny everything. “Tell your women to stop pestering me. God knows they listen to you more than to me even if I’m their king.”

 

“Why would I? They are having fun.” At his expenses! He should be a little harsher with both women. “And it’s harmless fun, Lenny.”

 

“Walk with me, will you?” Mick was his most trusted friend, his most loyal warrior and smarter than people gave him credit for. Len didn’t have to wait for a response, as soon as he started walking again, Mick was by his side. “You know this marriage was something that I was going to use to our people’s advantage. I marry the kid, we get their riches.”

 

“But the werewolves also get ours. I know. Mutually beneficial.” That was the idea. “I’m sensing a but there, buddy.”

 

“I didn’t expect the kid to be so young and such a treat. I mean, he is a man, but he also can get pregnant with my child if I wanted to.” And he did want to, but Barry was a pup among his pears, to a dragon, he was way too young to have a child. “He is also virgin, which means that when I fuck him, he is going to be mine and only mine.” Dragons were possessive, few wanted to share their lovers. Mick, Lisa and Cait were rarities among their species. “And when I saw their land… it’s nothing like ours, it’s so full of life and there are so many of them! They have litters, a werewolf woman can have even triplets as far as we saw. Dragons lay one egg at a time, sometimes one egg their entire lives.”

 

Mick mussed. It was no secret that Len and Lisa were just half-siblings, same father but different mothers. Hell, Lisa was a princess just because Lewis had married Lisa’s mother after Len’s mother early demise. Not that Mick cared, he wasn’t with Lisa because of her royal status. Mick didn’t give a fuck about that. One of the many traits that made him Len’s confident. 

 

“So what’s going to happen with your plan of marrying the kid and having separate lives? You wanted to marry him, have him here for a few months and sent him back with the excuse of distance and control.” It was true. They had discussed it when the letter arrived. As he had said: plan ten steps ahead. “Because you’re not one to change plans for a pretty face.”

 

“I don’t know. I felt something when I saw him.” No dragon spoke of it, yet every single one of them experienced the same feelings when they met their mates for life. Len didn’t know if what he had felt was that or just his lust. But the tug had been there accompanied by such a possessiveness that it would have driven anyone mad. “I’m trying to come up with something so he doesn’t go visit his family.”

 

“I would recommend not going down that path, Lenny. If you want the kid to stay, you better give him some freedom. Cait’s been reading on wolves since you told us about this marriage. According to her, they are social creatures. If you try to cut him from his family, he might ask for your marriage - and thus the alliance - to be annulled.” Len knew it. He did know it. That’s why he had told the wolf that he was free to go wherever he wanted during dinner. “And your plain would backfire. We might not need their riches, but our army is a completely different story.”

 

Mick wasn’t saying anything new. Len knew that every dragon could fend for themselves, fight a battle and come out as winners. However, he also knew that not all dragons were warriors. There were a lot that preferred a calm life, a peaceful life. There were also forces out there that not even a fierceless dragon could beat. His mind went back to Ronnie, Caitlin’s late lover. Ronnie had been an ifrit. Len had been a witness of how Ronnie would battle Mick once and again without a clear winner, and Mick was one of his best warriors. The man had had human form except when Mick’s flames surrounded him, then he would look like a fire demon sans the white eyes, no, while engulfed in fire, Ronnie’s eyes had been a deep red and his smile would turn from friendly to mad and cruel. The ifrit had been fast, vicious, knowledgeable and above everything else, powerful. Still, he had told the dragons that he wasn’t the most powerful ifrit out there.

 

“What’s your new plan then?” Mick’s words shook him from his memories. “I know you have one already.”

 

“I don’t. This time, I don’t have a plan.” It was a blunt lie. He planned on seducing Barry and keeping him until their dying breath. That way, his consort would stay by his side and the alliance would be jeopardized. “That’s why I needed some air.”

 

Because if he had stayed in their room, there was no saying what he would have done. A door wasn’t going to stop him if he let his dick control him. And his dick knew what it wanted even if it was alone against his brain and, above everything else, his heart. If the dragons’ king was sure of anything, it was that the only people in his heart were his family - and yes, Mick and Cait counted as family by sheer association to his sister - and the people he ruled. Barry Allen was a mean to an end, a cute, desirable mean to an end. And yes, he awoke something in Len but it hadn’t reached his heart yet. He hoped that maybe one day he would, but as of today, the kid was a necessity, nothing more.  

 

“As you wish. I better get going, otherwise those two are going to be spent by the time I join them.” A shudder travelled down Len’s spine. He loved the three of them, but he didn’t need to hear about their very active sex life. “Don’t keep your wolf alone for too long, he might get ideas.”

 

Mick left him alone once again. The slight buzz that came with the wine was long gone after their talk. So, he returned to his bedroom. Barry was already in his nightgown, sitting by the fireplace. The light drew shadows that made the hatchling look ethereal. Len stared for a few second, committing each detail to memory: the high cheekbones, the jawline, the eyes too big and innocent that now looked sharp and old, the small frown and the lips pulling slightly down. 

 

“You took too long, the maids said you don’t mind the cold water but it’s not healthy when it’s too cold. They left you the bathtub filled in case you wanted to bath.” Len’s eyebrow arched at this. The maids would have waited for him even if he had been out for hours and kept the water warm. Unless… He took a step forward and kneeled by Barry’s side. The kid avoided his eyes intently and Len couldn’t avoid to smirk. 

 

“Did they say something?” There it was, the blush that went from the tip of his ears down to his neck. “What was it?”

 

“Nothing, your highness.” Len put a finger under Barry’s chin and made the wolf turn his face to him. The red became even more pronounced.

 

“Barry, did they say anything to upset you?” He knew the maids couldn’t have said anything to upset his consort. 

 

“No.” There was no way to avoid those impossibly blue eyes without being rude, Barry was very conscious of it. And those same eyes were forcing him to say what happened. “They implied that I should help you with your bath.”

 

“Would you do it? After all, we are married.” He moved his face with each word until they were as close as possible without kissing. “And I will wait for you to be ready for sex, but… can’t I enjoy the other pleasures of the married life, Barry? Like your attentions and your cares.” 

 

Len tilted his head slightly, look fixed on those sinful lips, maybe he could get a taste without witnesses this time. Barry was holding his breath, eyes wide open and lips parted. Len’s dick wasn’t hardening, it was the posture he was in. He retreated slowly, willing himself to stand down before he made a grave mistake and scared the young man. As he was getting up, Barry spoke.

 

“Is that what you want from me in exchange of waiting?” The shiver this time was a pleasurable one. One charged with anticipation. Could he accept this sweet thing’s proposal? 

 

“Would you actually do it if I say yes?” It took Barry exactly twenty seconds to nod slowly. Len offered his hand and the kid took it, used it to get up from his spot with his face down. “Look at me, Barry.” When the wolf was staring at him, Len smiled slowly. He should get a treat for being such a good boy. His knuckles teased the column of Barry’s throat, his thumb pressing along the jaw and Barry shivered slowly. Len knew what he was doing to the poor wolf. Their necks were sensitive, almost an erogenous zone but they also protected it fiercely. “I would like it very much if you were to assist me with my bath, Barry.” 

 

Barry had his eyes half-lidded, chin up and he couldn’t avoid the small sigh that escaped the parted lips. Yes, the dragon knew exactly what he was doing. After all, it was a treat for Barry. A sneak peek of what he could do to him in more intimate times. Len wetted his suddenly dry lips and let his hand fall to his side. This was just a treat, not a seduction attempt. Those needed to be used only when there was a different kind of trust between them. 

 

“You look so delicious like this.” The kid shook himself from his drunken pleasure state and the blush intensified once again. “Come help me, otherwise the water is going to be freezing.” 

 

With each step he took off a piece of clothes, he would pick them up tomorrow before breakfast. He didn’t need to look back to know that Barry was there, following him. Fuck, he could feel the kid’s stared on his back. When he opened the door to the bathroom, he was glad to see that the bathtub was big, big enough to fit two grown up men. A quick glance and he had the bath supplies localised. The bar soap, a piece of cloth, two buckets of clean water and a stool where a maid normally sat. He took off his boots and put them by the door. He smirked as he finally got rid of his pants - no flourish needed, he didn’t want to torture the kid. Len entered the bathtub with a sigh and looked over his shoulder. Barry was standing by the doorsteps, eyes wide but not scarred for life. 

 

“It would be difficult to bath me from there, Red.” Barry’s body was a tense line. He should let the kid off the hook, but they needed to make progress if Len wanted to have sex ever again! “Barry…”

 

Except the kid walked up to him and sat on the stool, face drawn down. The kid might have been shy but he was also resolute if nothing else. Len admired that feature in anyone. With the cloth in one hand and the soap bar in the other, Barry started washing Len’s shoulders and arms. Due to the size of the bathtub, he was forced to leave the stool and kneel by him. The kid was so close to Len that he could see his hairless chest when the wolf bent forward. It forced Len to close his eyes to save himself from doing something stupid. Really, lust wasn’t going to cloud his judgement. Though it was getting harder when the kid went from his arms to his legs and thighs. Len rested his head against the metal surface. He had both arms outside the water, hands fisted against the sides of the tub. 

 

When it came the turn to his chest and torso, every muscle in his body tensed. The kid started from his collarbone, going slowly down, pecs and abdomen. There, all movement stopped. Len’s eyes opened when he felt someone watching him intently. Barry’s lower lip was being bitten mercilessly, deep frown and eyes searching. Len tilted his head, his gaze fell to those deliciously looking lips. If anyone questioned him later on, his boy betrayed him. His hand cupped Barry’s face, thumb caressing the warm skin of his cheek. Barry’s eyes darted down, then to the cloth floating in the water. Pulling his hand out of the water, Barry fisted the bathtub edge until his knuckles were white. Len noticed that he hadn’t moved further. In his currently not right state of mind, he asked. 

 

“Can I kiss you, Barry?” No nicknames were used, no referring to his consort as a kid or hatchling. Maybe that’s why the atmosphere felt so charged suddenly. His eyes were drawn to the kid’s throat when he swallowed. It shouldn’t be as erotic as it had been. “Just one kiss.”

 

“Yes.” However, he didn’t move and Len bent forward slowly, giving Barry time to bolt if he regretted it.

 

But the wolf didn’t move, not when their noses touched, not when Len tilted his head and their lips brushed ever so slightly. Len, more confident now, pressed a little more. He parted his lips and took Barry’s lower lip between his, he sucked slowly. He committed every detail to memory, certain that this wasn’t going to repeat any time soon. It was only then when Barry moved, he angled his face to respond to the yet too innocent kiss. Len’s tongue caressed his upper lip and Barry parted his own lips to gasp at the tingling sensation. The dragon took his chance and slid his tongue inside, seeking Barry’s and hummed into the kiss when the kid responded on instinct. His hand moved to Barry’s nape, he rearrange himself into a kneeling position, thankful that the tub allowed him to stand a few inches taller than Barry. His free hand went down his consort’s body and pressed itself against the waist of the young man that keened and pressed himself against the tub, nightgown wet now. 

 

Len parted a second to get some air and pressed a chaste kiss again, ready for another hopefully more heated kiss. Yet, Barry wasn’t having it. No, Barry pushed himself up. His eyes were almost black except for a barely there ring of green, his cheeks as red as his house colours, his lips swollen, his breathing hitched. Len glared at him, ready to ask whatever he needed to get Barry to join him in another kiss. Then the kid bolted from the bathroom, slamming the door after himself. 

 

“Fuck.” Had he scared the kid? He listened to another door slammed but heard none. The hatchling was still in their bedroom. That was a good signal. But, he had to give Barry time to recompose himself. With a look to his crotch it was decided that he also needed time. “Fucking fuck.”

  
  


Outside the bathroom, hiding under the covers of the too big bed, Barry held a hand against his mouth. What had been that? His lips felt swollen, his face - and what wasn’t his face - felt hot and his heart was racing inside his chest. He had accepted the kiss because it had been fair! After all, his husband had promised to wait until he was ready for sex. And Barry might be a virgin but he wasn’t an idiot. Back in his kingdom, he had heard stories from the maids of how their husbands couldn’t keep their hands to themselves once they were married. Or before even! Raina, the old cook that ruled her kitchen with an iron fist, had been really graphic while retelling her wedding night. So, Barry had been mildly terrified of what awaited him. 

 

Barry had expected Len to toss him on the bed and take, take, take until there wasn’t anything left. He had tried to picture his husband as a loving, caring lover - like Beth had portrayed her husband - but when he saw the ice dragon, a voice from the back of his mind had provided him with cold and mechanical sex - much like Ruth’s wife. Now he had a taste of his own. And it terrified him how his body had reacted to it. As soon as Len’s tongue had licked his upper palate and the back of his teeth, a shiver went down his spine and his mind had been gone, turned off. He had hated how his wolf instincts had kicked in, had recognised Len as his superior and it had been way too willing to give itself up to the naked man in the tub. It had been the image of his first time in a bathroom that had brought back his rational side and he had ran away like a child. He couldn’t look at his husband to the eye and now? Now it was going to be impossible! He was way too embarrassed. 

 

The bathroom door opened and Barry curled up on himself. The bed dipped when Len sat on it. Barry willed his body to remain unmoving and chew his lower lip, eyes shut tightly. 

 

“I’m sorry, Barry.” It took all his self control to stay still. “I shouldn’t have asked for anything. Not the bath and most certainly the kiss. I won’t do it again until you’re ready, I promise.” 

 

Len laid on top of the covers after blowing out the candles, which left the room lit only by the flames in the fireplace. If Barry preferred to pretend he was sleeping, he wasn’t going to push it further. However, his mind was tracing contingency plans for his stupid mistake. He couldn’t allow the kid to be scared of him. He needed the wolf for his future plans, his lust wasn’t going to interfere with those. 


	3. Adventures in a New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry in his new home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok. I've updated the character tags and the tags. I also change the rating and warnings mostly because as I was rereading the outline, I decided it was better to be safe than sorry. It might still change as the fanfic develops, because it's developing without my consent (he is doing it on his own, I swear!) 
> 
> This is no beta'd, so any mistake or typo is my fault. Once this is completed I'm going to edit it (even if it cost me years because three chapters and they are 40 pages already!) and correct any mistakes I might have made. 
> 
> Also, thank you for your kudos and reviews, they are the reason I keep updating this even when I have other fanfics going on and I haven't published the last two days of ColdFlash week. 
> 
> Anything you want to say to me, feel free to do so in the comments section!

**Adventures in a New Home**

 

When day came, the first thing that Len’s mind registered was the fact that there was a warm body pressed against his side. Opening one eye, he saw that during the night Barry had shifted and was currently curled against him. Len didn’t need to look at the fireplace to know that they fire had extinguished while they had been sleeping. The wolf, clearly not used to the cold, had seek the closest source of heat. He also knew that he should move before the hatchling woke up but it was so nice to have him like that. So, against his better judgment, Len stayed still and enjoyed this new feeling. Well, not new, different. His usual bedpartners either left before he woke up or it was too awkward to cuddle with them. But nothing had happened with Barry, this behavior was merely an accident. And it felt strangely good. 

 

The King knew he should get up and start his day, but he didn’t feel guilty about spending a few more minutes in bed. Yet, as soon as his consort started to stir up, Len moved slowly and left the bed. The kid had ran from his just last night and he rather not push his luck. If there was any hope left for them to work out, Len needed to hold onto it. Thus his hasty retreat. He went to the bathroom and found that his staff had entered the room and left two buckets of water - they probably brought them boiling but now it was warm - for their lords to wash. Len washed slowly, it would give Barry some time to wake up and get his walls up. It had only been a kiss, but it had been enough to spook the wolf. Len wasn’t going to make many progresses if the child didn’t allow him to. 

 

That’s how he arrived to the conclusion that they needed to talk a bit more, make a deal if it was what it took. Once the dragon had relieved himself and had washed, he left the bathroom and joined Barry in their bedroom. Except the young man wasn’t there. With a quick glance, Len found him standing outside. As he got close, he noticed Barry had a distraught expression on. With a frown, Len stopped at the balcony threshold. 

 

“You look troubled.” He said as he followed his consort’s gaze. “Is it because of yesterday?”

 

The pup jumped out of his skin. He must had been too lost in his thoughts to notice Len’s footsteps. The frown disappeared and his cheeks dusted in a slight pink. Their eyes never met though. 

 

“No, I was… It was too dark yesterday to see what laid out there.” There was a slight tremor in Barry’s voice, like he was biting his tongue. Len wanted to know what he wasn’t being told. “It’s really barren outside the walls, even when inside it’s beautifully lively.” 

 

Len moved closer to the balustrade. His eyes were immediately drawn to the market in the main square. Despite the early hour, there were people already coming and going, people yelling and playing instruments. Len and Lisa used to go to the market almost every day before his father’s death. Now he wanted to take Barry there, to have him see how despite their low numbers, they were a prosper kingdom. His gaze was drawn to the garden in front of their balcony. The flowers were well-kept, it was a breathtaking scenery to wake up to. There were also some fruit trees with ripped delicacies ready to be eaten. His mind supplied a great deal of scenes where they were laying by their trees and Len was feeding Barry. He forced himself to look anywhere but the garden. That’s how he found where the soldiers were training today. Mark changed the training grounds when he felt like it. His excuse was that it kept the soldiers sharp. Mick said he was a sick motherfucker that wanted to fuck with them. 

 

But that wasn’t important now. No, what was important was that despite the beauty of his kingdom, nothing around them seemed important to the kid. With a quick glance, he noticed the unfocused eyes of his consort, lost somewhere in the horizon. Was he homesick after one night? Len’s heart skipped a beat. 

 

“Well, it’s barren because my father decided to burn everything that could hide an army.” Len remembered vividly the forest that used to lay around the kingdom. He also remembered the fired that had burnt controlled for days until nothing remained standing. “You will get used to this view and it won’t bother you anymore.”

 

Barry bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying something stupid. He had already done stupid yesterday and he didn’t want to keep pushing his luck. He didn’t want to bother Len with his wolf’s suffering. So, he nodded and tried to focus on anything but the deserted landscape. He ignored how heartbreaking it was to not have greenery surrounding him. 

 

The silence between them was broken by a knock on the door. 

 

“That’s probably breakfast. Go wash yourself while they set the table.” Barry nodded to Len’s words and left him to tend to the servants. “Come in!”

 

As predicted, it was the service bringing their breakfast. Len stood by the side while plates filled the table. There was a jar of juice and another one filled with water, fruits, sausages, cheese, warm bread, eggs… a feast indeed. Yesterday he had noticed that Barry ate quite a lot for someone so thin, so he guessed it was a wolf thing. Having so much food in front of him would make Barry relax, it would allow Len to approach the topic at hand. When the last servant left, Barry came out of the bathroom refreshed even if his body was tense. Len pulled out Barry’s chair and was granted a little smile when his consort sat down. 

 

“For a few days we can have breakfast and dinner on our own.” Len said as a distraction. He wasn’t going to get straight to the point. “It’s to allow us our intimacy as newlyweds.”

 

“What about lunch?” Barry asked as he served himself. Len imitated him and noticed the slight blush. 

 

“I normally have lunch at my office, you can have it here or in the dining hall with Lisa, Mick and Caitlin.” Lisa insisted in the three of them having lunch together even when she knew that soldiers were expected to train since before sunrise until almost sunset, making few breaks to eat and drink. Mark couldn’t do anything when Lisa ordered him to let her partners join her for lunch. “Or you can join me in my office.”

 

“Do you spend a lot of time in your office?” His father hadn’t had an office, but he would hole up in his chambers.

 

“When I don’t have business outside it, yes, I’m normally there the whole day.” Being a king wasn’t fun, it required a lot of Len. “It’s located downstairs, by the throne room.”

 

“I see. If I’m not seeing you until dinner time, I would like to explore the castle, if that’s alright with you.” He wanted to talk to people, get a little insight in how the castle worked and maybe find the library. Since he wasn’t sure he could just run to the forest - he remembered Len had said the previous night that it was a day away - he needed something to distract himself. 

 

“I told you yesterday, Red, you’re free to go wherever you want.” Len finished his breakfast with a few pieces of fruit. “You’re my consort after all.”

 

The hatchling hummed, a loaf of bread between his fingers. He seemed more relaxed now, so it was time for Len to talk about what he actually wanted to talk about. 

 

“Before I leave, there is something else we need to talk about.” If only he could get the kid to look him to the eyes for more than half a minute though. “And it’s something serious.”

 

That seemed to grab Barry’s attention, which was good. He needed the kid to understand what he had to say.

 

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’t have asked for anything, not the bath and certainly not the kiss. It wasn’t my intention to scared you.” He lifted his hand when the kid opened his mouth. “I promised I would wait until you were ready and I intend to keep my word. I can be very patient, Barry, but even I have my limits and I need you to make an effort. I want you and I intend to court you, I intend to earn your trust so we don’t have to be stuck in a passionless marriage. I understand that you’re a virgin so when the time comes, I will treat you with the utmost care and respect, I will make you want me as much as I want you, I will make you fall apart under my care. For that to happen, we both need to make an effort. Can I count on you to do what I’m asking of you?” 

 

“Yes.” Barry’s voice came out breathless. His mind was trying to come up with a response, a way to explain his actions, but all he could think was ‘I’m sorry’ once and again. “Yes, your highness.”

 

“Good.” With a slight nod, Len got up. “I need to go now, but I’ll see you for dinner.”

 

He almost leaned in for a kiss and had the grace to turn the movement into a bow. He hurried to get to the dressing room. The dragon was glad he had been able to  The kid was still sitting outside when Len left the dressing room. He was looking at his kingdom was again with a frown marring his beautiful face. Len tried again to see what made his consort so distressed. There wasn’t anything out there that could preoccupy the wolf. Len, once again, decided that it was because the kid was in a different setting and not because there was something wrong. So, feeling more relaxed, Len left the room. There was work to do after all. 

 

Barry, on the other hand, wasn’t relaxed at all. No, he felt lightheaded and his skin was too tight with pressure against his chest. He was conscious that it all in his head, but it didn’t stop the feeling, no, it made it worse. He tried to remember the last time he had shifted and ran as a wolf. It hadn’t been two days since he felt the forest around him, his sense of smell overpowered by the scents of prey, pack, wet earth under his paws, his ears picking the slightest brisk of air shifting as they ran. Iris and Wally at his flanks, Eddie on their tail, Henry and Joe barely twenty feet ahead. A wave of nausea brought him back and his eyes went to the horizon, trying to see the barest hint of green. 

 

No matter how much he looked for it, the horizon remained flat, earth and sky meeting in a mix of blue and brown, no green in between. With a heavy-hearted sigh, Barry got up and went to dress properly. Yesterday plans had been forgotten, well, more like destroyed. So, as he dressed with casual clothes, he decided to check the town, meet people, make an effort to make this kingdom his home. As he put on his boots, he decided on a route for today. From the castle, the town didn’t look big, but it might take him a few days to get used to it, to its distribution, shortcuts, alleys and streets. And then he had to learn to navigate through the castle. So, when he left, he did it paying attention to details so he could find his way back later. He noticed the rich architecture, the arcs were high, the windows were big enough but also, they had placed them in different parts, thus the light came from both sides, creating a beautiful masterpiece. The floors were wood and it was well-maintained and there wasn’t even the smallest speck of dust in the small pieces of furniture here and there. He noticed that in contrast with his father’s castle, this one didn’t have any portraits on the walls and made a mental note to ask Len later. 

 

The corridor ended in a long stairs, red carpet covering the steps and the railing was made of iron and painted in black, a stark contrast with the floor. The end of the stairs wasn’t another corridor but more like a hall. Doors leading to the garden in front of the stairs. It was opened and it let a breeze came in with the smell of flowers and fruits. He could hear noise from the door almost hidden behind the stairs and the smell of bread and meat were a clue as to where the kitchen was. The high windows in this hall were tinted glass portraying immense dragons and sceneries of battle. The rest of the hall became unimportant as soon as Barry saw the windows. They looked like a story, no, like history. Those were the missing portraits. He wished he could see them upclose. 

 

“Beautiful, aren't they?” Barry almost jumped out if his skin, the only way to keep it together was to remind himself that he was the consort of the king. But Caitlin - her name was Caitlin, wasn't it? - just chuckle. “They are a composition of the Battle of the Rubies.”

 

“Battle of the Rubies?” He asked at such weird name. 

 

“Yes, it happened thousands of year ago, but it gave us our kingdom, so it was translated into those.” Barry looked at the dragon sideways. “It started when a few dragons decided to join forces against a great demon that roamed and terrorised this lands. When they finally killed him, they claimed this land. Since then, it’s our home.” 

 

“I see. Well, it’s a beautiful home.” His heart skipped a beat with the affirmation. 

 

“Were you heading out, my lord?” As he nodded, Caitlin smiled. “Let me keep you accompanied, as a soldier, it’s my duty to protect you and as a dragon, it’s my pleasure to show you the beauty of your new home.” 

 

It was only then that Barry noticed the attire of the woman in front of him. She was dressed from head to toe in black, a striking contrast with her pale skin, except for the gauntlets and the greaves and sabatons, that were shiny iron. Barry also took note of the sword attached to her hip, under it, another sheath, a shorter one, too big to be a dage so he supposed it was another kind of sword.

 

“I left training when I saw you standing here.” Barry quirked his eyebrow, there had been a slight tremor in her voice and her heartbeat was kind of erratic. 

 

“Is that so?” But he didn’t say anything because she might get offended. “It’s very kind of you.” 

 

“It’s nothing. I really wanted to get away from Mardon. He gets extra bossy when his brother is about to arrive.” It was also a lie according to Barry’s hearing but once again, he didn’t called her out. “So, shall we? You’re going to love the market, it’s very lively!”

 

She guided him out of the castle through the gardens. She also made sure to name all the trees that he didn’t know about, like the guava - it was delicious. She was fun to be around as Barry noticed really soon. He was curious though, why had she lied? As soon as they left the castle, the wolf ignored that fact, too busy being overwhelmed by the scents and noises around him. The castle entrance took them to the middle of the main square, where the market was held. 

 

“It’s an everyday rush, let me tell you.” Caitlin kept herself right in front of him at all times, only taking his place when they stopped to look at the stands. “People gather here to sell their goods, not only food.”

 

And there were a lot of stands. They stood mostly side by side, except certain ones that preferred to keep some distance between them as to avoid closing the streets leaving the market. People passed them and except a few looks, Barry and Caitlin weren’t noticed. It was a pleasurable change in Barry’s opinion. The upside of these people not knowing who he was, he guessed. Back in his father’s kingdom, people stopped him every few steps to ask him questions, give him food or beverages or simply to talk, which was really nice and something he enjoyed. It had been mostly because he knew those people, these ones? He didn’t know anyone. It filled him with a feel of loneliness so overpowering that his eyes teared up. 

 

“Is the smoke bothering you?” He came to his sense to realise he had stopped in front of a smokehouse. “I know wolves’ senses are more acute than dragons.”

 

“Sorry, I’m not used to stand so close to those.” He wiped the unshed tears and put on a smile. He knew it was fake, but Caitlin didn’t have to know it. “It smells really nice. Shall we keep going?”

 

“I can buy you some if you want.” This time he was in front of his guard. 

 

“There is no need, I had breakfast not even an hour ago.” Also, he felt nauseous. 

 

They fell into a comfortable silence after that. Barry tried to pay more attention to the stands and what they offered. He was surprised with the variety of products. This market wasn’t only about food, but also jewelry and clothes, little games and artisanal handicraft. The vendors were proud to show their best products and they didn’t care if the stand next to them had the same thing because each one was unique. 

 

“Young lass, come here!” The vendor that was calling him was a few stands to his right and as Barry was getting closer, he saw that it was a carpenter with a lot of little wooden figures for selling. “I have never seen you around here, you new?”

 

“Something like that.” The man laughed out loud and Barry smiled at him. 

 

“Then let me give you something.” The man picked up a small figure of a rose. Its petals had been painted in red. “A rose for a beautiful lass.” 

 

“Anthony, we have talked about this.” Caitlin showed up by Barry’s side with a smile. “No flirting with taken men.”

 

“Oh, come on, Cait! You can’t snatch all the beautiful ones for yourself!” Despite his words, there was no heat in his protest. “You got yourself Mick and now this young lass?”

 

“He is not mine, Thony, I’m just keeping him safe for his man.” Realisation came upon the vendor whose eyes turned to Barry once again. “Let’s keep it a secret, ok? It’s his first day here and he wouldn’t like a commotion.”

 

“As you wish, my lady.” The man was still smiling but less enthusiastic this time and bowed his head when he looked at Barry. “Your highness.” 

 

Barry felt his cheeks warm up at the title. Caitlin directed him further down the market after that. He had kept the rose and he caressed each petal with great care. It was a beautiful rose, one that would never wither. They kept walking around in silence until the Sun hit the highest point on the sky and Caitlin sighed. Her whole demeanor changed that instant, all friendly appearance gone as she soldiered up.

 

“It’s time to go back. Lunch is going to be served in less than an hour and it would be very impolite if we don’t show up.” Barry averted his eyes at her tone of command. 

 

“It wouldn’t. I want to explore the town and the King gave me permission.” Which wasn’t true, he had told Len he was going to stick to the castle, but his husband had said that he wasn’t a prisoner and he was really close to the castle anyways! “If you want to go back, go. I still want to see the streets around the main square, so I’m staying.” 

 

“Your highness, I can’t leave you alone. If something were to happen to you…” Caitlin tried to say, but Barry cut her off with a hand on her wrist. 

 

“Nothing will happen. People don’t even know who I am.” He wasn’t drawing any attention to himself. “I’ll go back as soon as I finish looking around, I promise.” 

 

With that, he turned around to keep going. Caitlin didn’t follow him and he was glad. Len had said that she normally had lunch with her lovers, so it would be unfair to keep her from doing that. Also, not having someone who reported back to Len around was good. People tended to tense around soldiers, even if those soldiers were well-known and loved. He had seen it his whole life with Joe and Eddie, who were like the best soldiers he had ever met. So, he had the advantage of not being known and not having a guard reporting back to his husband. 

 

He approached the first stand he hadn’t visited yet. The old lady was weaving something and didn’t look at him funny when he arrived. He smiled, she would give him the answers she needed. 

 

“Hello, sweetie. Looking for something?” His smile brightened when she smiled at him. 

 

“Actually, I wanted to ask some questions if that’s ok with you. Wouldn’t want to distract you.” She laughed at this. 

 

“I have been doing this all my life, honey, nothing would distract me. So, ask away.” He chew his lower lip. 

 

“I’m new in town.” That was a good start, something that wouldn’t raise any flag. “And I was wondering about the nearest forest. I was told it’s a day away.”

 

“It is. It’s to the south, where the faes and elves live. Only earth and plant dragons go there. And you don’t strike me as one of those.” He diverted his eyes. “No, you don’t strike me as a dragon at all.” 

 

“You caught me, ma’am.” Barry laughed. “How did you know?”

 

“No dragon would say it takes a day to cover the distance from here to the Elves’ forest. And all dragons know that they can’t go there after the Fire.” The woman replied. Barry guessed she was right about that. “Elves and Faes hate Dragons since the Fire, to the point that we can’t see eye to eye anymore.”

 

Understandable. Barry knew that forest people were really protective of forests, even those that weren’t theirs. So, when Dragons decided to burn the forest, Faes and Elves would have suffered quite a lot. He was suffering from it and he hadn’t seen the fire burning down miles and miles of forest. 

 

“So, you think I shouldn’t go?” His heart was racing as the woman mused over the question. 

 

“You can go, it’s safe for anyone who isn’t a dragon. But you should be careful. People tend to overlook certain things and endanger their lives. And take plenty of water, it’s quite the distance.” Her eyes diverted back to her job. 

 

“Thank you, ma’am.” This woman looked really old, so she must have been older than anyone Barry knew.

 

And that got him thinking. Back to his lessons with Mr. Wells. His former teacher had explained how dragons had the longest natural lifespan after demons - because apparently demons were immortal and dragons weren’t. So, a dragon that took care of himself could live up to five thousand years, a little more than elves and faes that despite how they liked to portrait themselves as immortal, they weren’t and it was easier to kill them than to kill a dragon. Size, fire - or powers in general -, raw power… Dragons were really hard to kill. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that they aged slowly and if this woman had been human, Barry would have guessed that she was maybe in her late sixties, early seventies. How old she was? Maybe three thousand years? No, probably more…Non important, it was rude to ask a lady her age. What was important, was the fact that she had all the information of the world! Or at least as much information as Barry needed.

 

“May I ask you another question, ma’am?” He needed to get at least her name. When the woman nodded he asked away. “What’s your name?”

 

“Eleonora. What’s yours, sweetie?” It was the first time that the woman stop weaving and looked him with all her attention. 

 

“Barry. It has been a pleasure to meet you, Eleonora.” He gave a deep bow. His father had taught him that even kings bowed to elders. 

 

“Call me Nora, child.” When she went back to her work, Barry decided it was time to go. 

 

He had to go back to the castle. But it took him more than it would have if he had gone with Caitlin. Mostly because he got himself lost as more people were joining the market. He noticed that even those who wore clothes for field work were well dressed, they also had the stances that scream powerful creature, the way they moved was graceful and elegant. There was no poverty in this kingdom, differences in class, yes, but no poverty. Not a single homeless person in the back alleys that Barry had to use in order to get away from the crowd. It was nothing like human kingdoms and he like it. It might have been too different from Wolves’ land, but it wasn’t in any way less beautiful and cared for than it. 

 

At last, he arrived at a small plaza with a fountain in the middle. There were a few women doing laundry and children playing around with the water. The noise of the market had disappeared and the wind brough instead the soft notes of someone singing. Barry stood awkwardly there, unable to take a step forward since he didn’t want to disrupt the moment. Except that one of the children slipped and fell down. As he cried, Barry went and picked him up. 

 

“Are you alright, little one?” He looked the child over, asserting he hadn’t injured himself. 

 

“Yes.” The kid put on a strong face and Barry cleaned his tears. 

 

“Matthew!” One of the women had left the laundry behind to rush to her child. “Thank you, sir..”

 

She was beautiful, which wasn’t strange. Dragons were all beautiful apparently. Must be something in the water. The young woman had long blonde hair and her eyes looked like rubies, he wondered what type of dragon she was. She was dressed in a simple green dress. 

 

“It was nothing, I was just close.” He smiled at her and Matthew. “I’m just glad that Matthew is fine.”

 

“You’re pretty.” His eyes turned to his side, where a young girl was pointing at him. “Momma, he is pretty!” 

 

He hadn’t realised how every eye on the plaza was focused on him now. His face flushed and he tried to mutter his thank you for the compliment, but his voice had left him. 

 

“Yes, he is, darling, but watch your manners. It’s rude to point at people.” Another woman came and picked up the little girl. Her black curls bouncing when her mother picked her up. “Sorry, Sophie doesn’t know how to be subtle. I’m Gina, she is Emma.”

 

“Nice to meet you, sir.” The woman with the red eyes smiled at him.

 

“I’m Barry, it’s really nice to meet you too.” If only his face weren’t as red as he suspected it to be. He wanted to go to the castle but it would be rude to just leave. “May I help you in any way?”

 

“Well, you look really strong, so why don’t you help us with the laundry.” Gina snickered as he was taken to the fountain. Women started to indicate him how to do laundry and they gave him a lot of blankets. “Just like that, we will take them back home once we’re finished.”

 

He enjoyed it. The song started again and a few women joined it. Barry didn’t know the lyrics, but he hummed along them. The children were again playing and it was peaceful. The background noise in his mind stopped and his wolf was calm for once. Barry felt like he could breathe normally for once since he was told he was going to be married to his husband. 

 

“So, Barry, you’re are not a dragon, what are you?” He was surprised by Emma’s question and so seemed she as she blushed deeply. “Sorry, I was just curious. You don’t have to answer!”

 

“Ah, don’t worry. But I guess it’s fair if I ask you the same question?” She nodded with a smile. “I’m a werewolf.”

 

“I’m a magma dragon.” Her friend Gina chuckled beside her. “Come on, Gina! I’ve been married to your brother for ages!”

 

“My brother who is a water dragon!” The rest of the women were laughing out loud now while Emma’s blush became deeper. “The joke is not going to die anytime soon, darling. You are a magma dragon, my brother a water dragon and Matthew a rock dragon, it’s just hilarious!” 

 

Barry smiled and filed the information away. So, dragons didn’t inherit their parents’ powers? He wanted to ask Len when he went back. Though maybe Len didn’t want to answer those questions taking into account their talk this morning. He decided it was better to focus on doing laundry and maybe ask the ladies how to get back to the castle. 

 

“Wait, you’re a werewolf! Our king left to get married to a were… Y-you…” One of the youngest women said and Barry knew the moment she put it all together. Ok, it wasn’t difficult to know it since she paled and got up, her laundry falling into the fountain and splashing everyone around it.

 

“Henrietta!!” One of them exclaimed and Barry used his coat to dry his eyes before looking at Henrietta. “Watch it!”

 

“H-he is… he is King Leonard’s husband!” Maybe he should have left earlier. Everyone was looking at him again. “Aren’t you?”

 

“Yes.” He raised and looked at the brunette in front of him. “That’s not a problem, isn’t it?”

 

“A problem?” Maybe there were people in town that wanted to kill Len, or make him suffer. The kingdom looked so nice that for him it was highly improbable there were people unhappy with their king. “You shouldn’t even be talking to us! We are peasants!”

 

“Don’t be dramatic, Henrietta.” Gina stepped in and looked at Barry. “I’m sorry, your highness, Henrietta here can be quite the drama queen. But she is right, you shouldn’t be doing these kind of chores and it’s already quite late.” It was true that the sun wasn’t at its highest peak, but it wasn’t nowhere near night. “Do you know how to go back to the castle, my lord?”

 

“But I can do this, I like helping you with your laundry.” As much as he had enjoyed doing it for Mary and the rest. 

 

“No, my lord. You are royalty.” Emma dried his hand without looking at his eyes. “I know King Leonard believes in equality but there is a limit that even he doesn’t cross, like helping peasants on their jobs.” 

 

“But I always helped people back at home.” He was so confused. These people had been treating him like an equal until they figure out that he was their king’s consort! “You don’t have to treat me differently because I’m your king’s husband.”

 

Apparently he said something outrageous as they looked up with scandalized expressions. Then shocked expressions morphed into expressionless ones. Emma grabbed his elbow, she was stronger than she looked and despite the harsh touch, it wasn’t painful. 

 

“You should go back to the castle, my king.” He was being practically dragged, without the hurting part of being dragged, to one of the alleys. “So  _ your _ king can see for himself that you’re safe. It’s quite late and you didn’t bring guards for your protection.”

 

“To be honest, I don’t know how to go back?” Her hand left his arm and Barry turned to look at them. The mothers were calling their children and picking up their half-done laundry, the song had died too and he wondered when the plaza had gotten so gloomy. 

 

“Go straight right here, take the fifth to the left and then the third to the right, it will take you right straight to the castle.” Then she turned away, expression closed. Barry’s heart felt heavy again. 

 

As he walked away from that peace and went back to the castle, his wolf started to act up again, stirring like crazy, more vicious than before. He needed to shift and run soon. After today’s events, the wolf decided that tomorrow he would leave. It would be better if he left before dawn, that way he could be back before it was too late. After twenty minutes walking - and how long were those streets! - he found himself standing in front of the castle. Guards were passing by, probably doing their rounds and they bowed as he crossed them. He crossed paths with Caitlin and Mick, he was glad to see her smiling at him. His mind went back to her previous behavior at the market, and it was explained the moment that Mick bent to kiss her on the lips. Barry paused, it wasn’t anything sexual but it screamed love and he liked it. He wished he could have that with Len someday. 

 

He sighed and was ready to move when he heard Caitlin calling after him. 

 

“Wait, wait!” She was dressed in different clothes, still pants and sweaters, but these time it wasn’t all black. Blue suited her. “Did you enjoy the market?”

 

“Very much. I met a lovely dame, Eleonora, though she asked me to call her Nora.” She nodded. “Then I got lost, but a few ladies showed me the way.”

 

“I see. I’m glad you’re ok.” He wasn’t ok, but let her believe it. “Do you plan on going back tomorrow? Lisa said she would have loved to join us today if she had known we were going.”

 

“I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow I’ll wander around or stay with Len.” It was a lie, but until he spoke with his husband, he would very much keep people from finding that he was going to go to the forest. “I’ll let you know tomorrow.” 

 

“Great! You should take some money with you tomorrow, that way we can buy some clothes or jewelry. That’s what Lisa likes to buy every time we go out.” Money? Wait… he didn’t have any money on him! He hadn’t asked Len for money! “If you want to come with us, we will wait for you right here, ok?” 

 

He nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. He had so many things to ask his husband during dinner. He went upstairs without getting lost. He would have loved to wander around some more but it would be better if he had a bath before dinner. When he arrived at his bedroom, he was glad to see that there were manservants filling the tub with hot water. 

 

“Good evening, my lord.” One of them said and he replied with a smile. “Lord Leonard wanted me to send you to his office once you arrive. He said he had to ask you something regarding the Kingdom of Wolves.” 

 

“Oh, right. Can you tell me where the office is?” What would Len possibly want to know about his father’s land? 

 

“Yes. You leave the room, turn to the left and it’s the door immediately in front of the stairs once you are downstairs.” 

 

“Thank you.” He smiled to the man and followed his instructions. 

 

The door was double, engraved with the image of a dragon roaring towards the sky. The wood was dark but there were details around the dragon in lighter color. He knocked twice and waited patiently for an answer. 

 

“Come in.” Barry opened his eyes. He was surprised to see that Len wasn't alone. Lisa and Mardon were there, there was also a man with short dirty blond hair and greenish eyes. Barry noticed as he saw Mardon and this man together that they had to be related. “Barry, glad you could join us. This is Clyde Mardon, leader of the hunter squad.” 

 

“Nice to meet you.” He was meeting a lot of people today. 

 

“So this is the famous Barry, your husband.” The crooked smile was friendly, but his eyes were hard, like Barry was a prey that he was measuring. “You didn’t say he was a really pretty thing, bro.”

 

“Because that’s not your business.” Mardon crossed his arms with an arched eyebrow. His words were more a growl than anything. “Eyes on the map, Clyde.” 

 

“Aye, aye.” So, they were brothers. Clyde’s eyes lingered a second more on Barry than he was comfortable with. “So, you were saying, highness?”

 

“One second, Clyde.” Len’s stare was fixed on Barry. “I wanted to consult my husband before deciding anything.”

 

“Wolf’s hunting territory?” Barry had already seen that coming considering that Clyde was the hunting squad leader. “You want to exploit it, don’t you?”

 

“Well, it’s our territory now.” Barry stepped forward and looked over the map. Yeah, that was his father’s land. “But we don’t want us hunting there to be the cause of trouble with the wolves.”

 

“That’s hard to do. Wolves don’t make hunting excursions.” No, they normally ran patrols to control wildlife, they checked herds of deers and other animals they preyed on. “We hunt when we need to or we feel the urge to. You need to take into consideration mating season.” And he got to say it without blushing. “Festivities, anything that can involve having more people around in our land. We are forest people after all.”

 

Len followed Barry’s finger as his consort traced the limits of their land. Something clicked on his mind then. With a quick look over his shoulder to the window he thought that he should have known sooner. 

 

“Also, we don’t have squads, we hunt together, that way we cover more territory.” It was really complicate to explain to someone who couldn’t understand what it was like. 

 

“That’s your way to tell us to stay away, pretty thing?” This time Barry did blush and Len growled. “Because that’s not an option.”

 

“Clyde, you’re overstepping your boundaries.” Lucky him it was Mark who chastised him and not their king. “I’m sorry, your highness.”

 

“Still, he is right. I’m sorry, Barry but we can’t just stay away if we have new lands to exploit.” He needed to let their hunting lands rest after months of hunting in the same grounds. “So, can you give us another place to hunt or would you explain us how to do it?”

 

Barry ducked his head, it would be wise to give them something but dragons weren’t really into forests as far as he had seen. What if they decided to burn his forest too? As he chew on his lower lip, he decided that he had to make them promise to not do anything unwise if they were going to hunt there. 

 

“For starter, not burning it.” Lisa chucked and Len quirked an eyebrow at the biting remark. “Second ask permission to my father, as we monitor the wildlife, after all, it's our livestock too. He can give you pointers as to where to hunt and how much you can hunt to not endanger the equilibrium we carefully maintain. And lastly, don't believe that everything is fair play, the forest is the kingdom, people live in the forest.” 

 

Everyone turned to him with surprise. Barry looked back at them, he was going to stand his ground. He wasn't going to let them destroy his home place. 

 

“Alright. Lisa, can you send a requirement letter to the wolves?” His sister nodded and smiled to Barry before leaving the men behind. “Mardon, you and Clyde go through the soldiers you are going to send to the hunting squads.”

 

Clyde winked at him when he left and to be honest, it was a little creepy. His older brother pushed him forward with a nod towards him. Barry sighed and his eyes went to Len’s figure. His husband was standing in front of the window as he looked outside. 

 

“Did you want to talk about something else with me?” He hadn’t been dismissed but maybe it wasn’t because Len had something to say to him.

 

“Yes. I just figured out what was making you angsty.” Did he? Barry thought he had fooled him this morning about his emotional state. “You’re homesick, I knew that much because I understand that the change was a great one for you. But you’re just not homesick, are you?”

 

“No.” It was as simple as that. Leonard came up to him and looked straight into his eyes. “I’m sorry…”

 

“You don’t need to be.” Len pressed two fingers under his chin and made Barry lift his head until their eyes met. “But it’s going to be complicate if you keep separating our lands into yours and mine. We’re married, Barry, what is yours is mine and what is mine is yours.”

 

So, Len didn’t get it. With a sigh, Barry decided that it would be more complicated if he tried to say something that could be considered rude to the King. So, he nodded. 

 

“It’s normal, I know it will take you a while until you’re used to the fact that we share our properties now. It would be faster if you try to talk about it in terms of ours kingdoms.” As he sat down, Len couldn’t help it but wonder if there were any other issues bothering his consort. “Dinner is going to be held in the main hall tonight to celebrate with our hunters their safe return. Do you want me to send a manservant to get you there?”

 

“No. If you don’t mind, I think I’m going to skip dinner tonight. I ate quite a lot at the market.” It was a lie, but he needed some space. Hopefully, his husband would believe it. “And I wanted to let you know that tomorrow I’m going out, so I won’t join you for lunch either. If that’s ok with you?”

 

“So, I take it you will be joining Lisa in her shopping. If you need money, you have to go to the basement, that’s where our arcs are located.” At least he had the answer to one question, Barry noted, thankful that he didn’t need to ask about money. “Something else?”

 

“Yes. I met some women today, they told me I wasn’t allowed to help them with their chores. So I was wondering, do I have a job or I’m just supposed to lay around doing nothing?” He wasn’t used to do nothing. Before getting married he had his studies, helping the staff, training from time to time… 

 

“Well, Lisa works the routes used by dragons, I do the accounting of the kingdom… but I’m not too good with people, so maybe you can rid me of that problem. Are you willing to sit down with people and hear them out? We can work out on solutions together if you want.” Len had been thinking about it all day even if he sounded nonchalant about it. He knew too that it was of great importance, but he wanted Barry not only to feel useful but to feel like he had a huge responsibility. “Unless you had something else in mind?”

 

“No. I like that job, I’m a good listener.” The kid smiled at him and he was glad he had gotten to make him so happy. “Thank you, my lord.”

 

“You’re welcome. Are you retiring for the day already or do you want to go with me over some other things?” He had a lot of work left to do and two people would make it faster. “I want to finish before dinner so I can take a bath.”

 

“I can help.” Len pulled out a chair for him by his side and signaled at it. Barry sat and looked at the papers in front of him. “Are you trying to figure out how to make the kingdom larger?”

 

“Well, I was thinking of building a secondary wall outside the one here. I was thinking that maybe we could move government buildings over there, give soldiers actual ground to train…” But that left the inside wall unprotected in case that wall fell during an attack. “Do you have an input?”

 

Barry studied the papers carefully and he readied himself to be mentally exhausted when they were done with it. Meanwhile, the dragon took his time to study his husband. He went from there concentrated look, the frown and the lips in a thin line to the fact that his body was relaxed. It was a step forward seeing that they were sitting not even a foot apart. Len noticed how if he moved his knee a bit to the right, their legs would be touching. He wanted to try and see if the kid would jump or move away. He decided against it the second the thought popped up, it would be contraproducente. 

  
  


Lisa left his office to find Caitlin waiting for her. She was surprised that Mick wasn’t with the ice dragon as they were supposed to train together today. Her lover was relaxed against the wall, eyes closed and smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She looked beautiful, as always. 

 

“Have you been waiting here for long, love?” Lisa pressed herself against Cait’s side, a hand going around her waist. “Len needed to meet up.”

 

“No, I came as soon as I heard the meeting was over. The Mardon brothers passed by me when I was coming here, it’s true that Clyde tried to flirt with our young consort?” Cait looked at her without hiding her smile. 

 

“Yes, it was pitiful.” They laced their fingers when the soldier pushed herself up. “But it was also funny. If you had seen Len’s face. How was your time today with the pup?”

 

“Nothing much, we walked around the market before lunch, then I left him behind. Do you think your brother would punish me for not dragging him back?” She had felt bad about it, but she didn’t want to miss lunch with her lovers. 

 

“No, but he might be pissed about not knowing about what he did while alone. He is a control-freak as you know.” Lisa wasn’t surprised when Mick felt into steps with them. “The poor thing is going to have a hard time adjusting to my brother’s possessiveness.” 

 

“I would be more concerned about Lenny’s suffering. Kid’s not a dragon, will fight your brother until one of them gives up.” Lisa rested his head against Mick’s shoulder. “Wonder who it will be.”

 

“Well, considering that I felt how sad Barry was today…” Lisa looked at Cait. She hadn’t mentioning the kid being sad during lunch. “It’s obvious that he is not happy about being here, Lis.”

 

“But this is his home now!” If Barry was unhappy here, her brother would end being unhappy too! She needed to take this matter into her own hands. “I know it was yesterday when he arrived, but he had time to accept that he was moving!”

 

“Lisa, moving from your home to another place takes more than a week to adjust. It might take him a few months to accept that this is his home.” The ice dragon stopped and turned to their princess. “And he is alone here, no wolves around to keep him company. Mick and I have training and you have your duties too and let’s not get started with your brother’s schedule. I told you that wolves were social creatures, they are used to live as pack.”

 

“Then we give him pack. He can start with us and then go from there.” Lisa decided that tomorrow’s visit to the market was going to be the first step towards i. “Did he give you an answer for tomorrow?”

 

As they entered the main hall for dinner, Cait shook her head. She had a bad feeling since the young prince had told her that she would have an answer later. But her logic said that the wolf had been probably overwhelmed from the market and needed to rest. He had had a rough couple of days with his wedding, moving out, not knowing people… So, she decided that she would try to talk to him tomorrow at some point. Mick pressed his hotter than average hand against the small of her back and she smiled at him, thought it got him frowning. 

 

“You’re worried, doll.” She sighed and nodded. “Lenny got it controlled, so don’t. Everything will work out.”

 

“I hope you’re right, Mick.” 

  
  


Barry sat on his bed fresh out from the bath. His eyes were on the horizon. Tomorrow he had to cover a lot of distance to get to the forest, and his wolf was impatient. If it were for him, he would leave right now but the human part of him knew that it would be too dangerous. It was dark and he didn’t know anything about what laid outside the walls. But tomorrow he would run free and nothing was going to stop him. With a smile he laid down and closed his eyes. He was so excited that he didn’t even feel hungry despite not having had lunch or dinner. Because tomorrow he was going to shift and find the forest and lay down on a patch of sunlight, drink water from any river or maybe even the lake they had flown over. 


	4. Newfound Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry runs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, another chapter. Another apology for typos and mistakes. I promise those are going to be fixed as soon as this thing is done. 
> 
> Warning: Len is possessive and stupid. He is a dragon I guess. 
> 
> Hope you like it!

**Newfound Friends**

 

When Barry woke up, the Sun hadn’t risen yet. Len was sleeping soundly on the other side of the bed. Barry smiled and, as slowly as he could manage, got up. He did so checking once and again for anything that might disturb his husband’s sleep. He sighed relieved when he was standing and the dragon hadn’t even stirred up. Barry dressed in light clothes, nothing that was going to be too hard to carry once he transformed. He slowly strode across the room and opened the door only until he could slip in. 

 

“Barry? Where are you going?” Alright, he did not blush because of how cute sleepy Len sounded. He didn’t. 

 

“I’m going out?” He bit his lip without moving from the door. 

 

“The Sun hasn’t rise, come back to bed, Red.” There were some mumbling. Barry didn’t move, the idea being that once that Len went back to sleep he could actually go out! “Barry, if I have to get up and drag you to bed, I will.”

 

Now there wasn’t nothing left of that cute sleepiness in Len’s voice. No, the dragon had been completely woken. The young man closed the door with a low moan and turned around. It wasn’t a surprise to find Len sitting on the bed, shirtless and face frown. His wolf whined at the view. The little light coming from outside was enough to see the dragon’s chest and torso, to notice the shadow of chest hair and the line of darker hair that went past the blanket. He had already seen those the first night when his husband had asked for his assistance during his bath. Barry was blaming the soft light and his instincts. Those made Len seem even more attractive that he already was. 

 

“Kid…” The commanding voice wasn’t helping his nerves. “I want to catch a few more hours of sleep before the service come for breakfast.”

 

Barry dragged his feets to his side of the bed and laid down, back to Len, stare lost in the sky outside. He had been looking forward going out. He did nothing to prevent the silent tears or ignore the wolf howling in desperation. He felt Len rolling in bed so they were back to back. A few minutes later, his breathing felt into an even rhythm. Barry knew he was asleep but he was also conscious of the fact that if he dared to move, the dragon would wake up immediately. He needed to make a new plan, and soon. Otherwise, he was going to go crazy. He cried until tears dried on their own. His eyes hurt, they would probably be puffy and red, Barry didn’t find it him to care. It was just his second day in his new home and he was already miserable. 

 

Len moved by his side, which prompted Barry to close his eyes. The manservants had brought water not even an hour ago and Barry knew he should have gotten up to wash, but he couldn’t find the will to do so. So, he let Len take the first turn. His eyes remained closed while the maids brought in breakfast and set the table outside. He must have dozed off for a minute there because the next thing he felt was a hand against his cheek. He opened his eyes to find his husband kneeling beside him, jaw tight and eyes hard. 

 

“You cried.” Barry for once didn’t look away, the kid just stared at him unblinking. Was it because of something he had done? He hadn’t been so drunk yesterday to do something stupid, he made sure of it.  “Why?”

 

He was surprised when his reply was Barry turning around and ignoring him. Well, if the kid wanted to be left alone, Len could do that. Except that he hadn’t had breakfast. That was something Len wasn’t going to allow in his household. So, he sat beside the kid and coaxed him into laying on his back, which allowed him to not look at him if that made him uncomfortable. 

 

“Kid, what did we talk yesterday about?” He kept himself in check, he tried to not sound harsh or commanding. “We said we were going to make efforts. So, talk to me so we can work this out.” More silence. “Barry, you’re being childish this morning and I won’t accept this behavior.” 

 

“You said, you said I could go wherever I wanted.” Oh, so this was because of this way too early attempt to go out? Ok, that was stupid. 

 

“Wherever, not whenever. It was too early kid, now you can wash, have breakfast and go wherever you want.” He got up. The wolf was acting as an angsty teenager and it was something the king wasn’t going to deal with. “Come on, I won’t wait for you.”

 

Len sat down to have breakfast on his own. Still, his consort didn’t move from bed. With a sigh, the dragon finished his breakfast and got up. If he wanted to act like a spoilt child, Len was going to let him. He had other problems to solve and this wasn’t going to be one of them. Mostly because he was his husband, not his father.

 

“If you decide to act like an actual adult, I will be seeing you for dinner.” He said before leaving their room. When he crossed a maid, he stopped her. “Brianne, can you inform me if my consort has eaten when you go pick up the plates from my bedroom, please?”

 

“Of course, my lord. Is Lord Barry feeling unwell?” Len shrugged and smiled at the kind maid. “I can get some tea for him.”

 

“That won’t be necessary, Brianne, but thank you.” Alright, that being said, he had a meeting with some lords to go over before the actual meeting. Those lords could be vicious. 

  
  


Brianne, the maid, decided to give their king’s husband a few more minutes when it was time to get the room cleaned. So, she did all her work around the room until she couldn’t delay it further and knock on the door. Had their master left without her noticing? It was unlikely but possible. She opened the door and was surprised to see that the young man was still in bed. 

 

“Lord Barry?” The kid looked at her, confused. “I’m Brianne, I’m the maid that cleans your room.” 

 

“Oh.” His cheeks turned a bright red then. “You can leave it like this, but if you were so kind as to take the food away.” 

 

She nodded and when to pick up the plates. She tried to not turn around and chastise the young man for not eating, but maybe he had an upset stomach or something. Though he looked quite healthy to her! She decided that it was better if the king knew about it. He was more than suited to talk to the man still in bed. They were married after all. 

 

“Thank you, Brianne.” He smiled at her when she was leaving, a shy, innocent smile. Oh, how could anyone get mad at anything that looked half as angelic as this boy? 

 

“You’re welcome, your highness.” But her loyalty laid somewhere else. So after she took the food to the kitchen, so people could snack on it during the day, she found herself knocking on King Leonard’s office door. After a loud ‘come in’, she opened the door and bowed slightly to both the King and Lord Rory. “My lord, your husband hadn’t eaten anything when I went to your rooms.”

 

“What did you do, Lenny?” Rory looked from the maid to his friend who was frowning deeply. 

 

“Nothing. Thank you, Brianne, you can retire now.” As soon as the maid was gone, he sighed. “I caught him this morning when he was about to go out, it was dark outside so I told him to get to bed. Later I noticed he had been crying and since then, he has been acting like a spoilt child. As you can see, I haven’t done anything wrong.”

 

Mick hummed and his mind went to Caitlin. She had been worried yesterday and he had told her that Lenny had everything under control. He didn’t have it under control. So Mick decided that he had to talk about this with Cait, get some insight that might help both parties before this whole marriage/alliance blowed up in their faces. 

 

There was another knock on the door. This time, however, the person behind the door didn’t wait for permission to open it. There was an old man with a severe expression, Mick hated those lords. They always looked at him as if they were smelling horseshit and it made Mick want to punch them all. 

 

“I’ll see you later, Lenny.” But it was always a pleasure to see their scandalized faces when he talked to their king without the respect he ought to have with him, or when he kissed Lisa in front of them. Douche move, he knew and still didn’t care. “Lisa said she wanted to go shopping.” 

 

“Later, Mick.” The door closed behind the last lord. Poor Lenny had to stand those bastards. 

  
  


After leaving the king’s office, Mick went to look for his lovers. They were probably still on the castle if they were waiting for Barry. And they weren’t hard to find, no when the three had that strange bond between them. He followed his instincts and there they were by the rosebushes. He couldn’t hear what they were saying but it was probably sweet nothings and he felt his heart skip a beat. How could he be so damn lucky to have those two? Lisa had been easy, Len had been his friends for longer than either of them cared to remember, so Lisa had always been a constant in his life. Caitlin had been way trickier. She had truly loved Ronnie, as much as Mick had loved the ifrit. Thus it was an understatement to say that she had been devastated when he died. For a few months, they had thought she was lost completely, that she wasn’t coming back to them ever again. 

 

Mick had found her deep down the mountain in her human form and had coaxed some food and water into her but left her to grief on her own. He never told anyone what happened down there, not even Lisa, and neither had Caitlin. It was their secret. But sometimes, when the ghost of Ronnie was too much for Cait, she would find a quiet spot and wait for Mick to come and save her from her memories. They would talk about how during those months that she had lived in the mountains, she had snuggled to him, how she had begged him to make her whole again. How she had called him Ronnie more times than not and cried every time until she would fall asleep. One day, one of her good days, Mick found the courage to tell her that he had loved Ronnie too. He talked and talked until her fingers were on his face, wiping tears away. Then she had kissed him and it had felt right. 

 

Afterward, he had gone to Lisa and confessed everything. He had thought the princess was going to get mad. So, he had gotten real lucky when Lisa smiled at him once he was done talking. Hell, that day they had had the best sex ever! She talked dirty to him while she rode him with abandon. She played with his kinks and fantasies until they were both sated. Not even a week later, she had approached Caitlin and seduced her while she was training. Mick had been impressed of how little effort it took Lisa to get Cait to accept to date her and Mick, at the same time. Lisa was a force to behold. 

 

“Do the ladies need some company?” Lisa smiled brightly at him. “If you are waiting for Barry, he is not coming. Len made him cry.”

 

“Excuse me? Wait! Were are talking about my brother here, I don’t know why it even surprises me. What did the idiot do?” Mick turned to Cait.

 

“Apparently he didn’t let the kid get out before sunrise. I wanted to ask you, doll, if you had any idea as to where he might have wanted to go?” He hoped their ice dragon knew something, but she shook his head. “Well, I’m sure they will fix them on their own, but since your brother seems like the doesn’t care, I thought I could get him some pointers. After all, I got two outstanding women to call my own.”

 

“You’re such a flatterer, but you are stuck coming with us shopping since Barry isn’t coming.” Lisa entwined their fingers and Mick groaned. Stupid Len. “Then Cait and I are going to talk to Barry. We should get him something from the market!”

 

“That should make him feel better, yes.” Mick prepared mentally for a journey of following two ladies and carrying their stuff. Not that he minded, but for his sanity it was better to pretend that it bothered him. Also, new clothes meant they trying it on later with him as their sole spectator. 

 

After the meeting with the Lords, Len felt drained. Not just exhausted, but drained. If he hadn’t seen those same men as dragons, he would say they were actually incubi draining him of his lifeforce. But what got him worked up weren’t the other lords. No, he had been ready to have lunch at his office while going over some paperwork that needed to be done and he had committed the mistake of asking Kyle if his husband had lunch already. He had hoped that the kid had eaten lunch since he skipped breakfast. The poor lad panicked. 

 

“My lord, lord Barry sent back the food that we sent him to your bedroom.” Hell, the young man was trembling as he informed his king about it. 

 

“Can you go sent my lunch to our bedroom with his as well.” The kid was starting to get on Len’s nerves. “Just give us fifteen minutes before you go there.” 

 

So, he left his office and went upstairs. He was going to have a serious conversation with Barry.  He better not be in bed still. He didn't bother to knock or announce himself as he stormed into their bedroom. He scanned the room and he was glad the kid had moved from the bed to the balcony. 

 

“Barry.” He strode towards the kid. “Aren't you acting a bit over dramatic?” 

 

“I’m not acting any way, Len.” He didn't even look at him. Great. So adult-like. 

 

“Yes, you are. You are being irrational and childish over something stupid.” He knew it was something harsh to say but it wasn’t any less true. “You cried over me telling you to not go out while it was dark!” 

 

“You told me. You told I could go wherever whenever, so, forgive me for being upset you didn’t let me go out.” Barry got up to turn around and look at him. “You talk about how we are married and I’m not your prisoner and yet I’m not allowed to get up early and leave! You didn’t even ask me where I was going, you just told me to get back in bed.”

 

“I’m not going to apologize over this.” And he couldn’t understand what was the fuss about, really. His brain had tried to get something out, but only one thing became clear: Werewolves were irrational and made no sense whatsoever. “I want you to eat something, if then you want to go wherever you were going to go, you’re free.”

 

“It doesn’t matter anymore, it’s too late…” The anger disappear like that and the kid went back to his angsty state. “And I’m not hungry.”

 

“Well, I don’t care. You are going to eat and you better not make me lose more time with this, because you won’t like the consequences, kid.” 

 

The threat made the consort pale considerably. His instincts to fight or fly were trying to override his logic that his husband wouldn’t do anything that could endanger their marriage and thus their alliance. But yet, there it was, in the dragon’s eyes filled with anger, so much anger that they glew and the pupils were just slits against the blue. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

 

“I… Why don’t we make a deal, kid? I’ve asked the kitchen staff to bring us lunch, you eat and then you are free to go to wherever you were going this morning.” He knew he had been a step away from force feeding Barry, chaining him down and making him swallow as much food as he could. It had been the panic oozing from Barry that reminded Len they had to build something between them. “Just, eat something so I can get back to work.”

 

Barry’s vocal cords were frozen. He hadn’t expected Len to swing moods so suddenly. Yesterday it had been playful, caring and kind. Today he had looked terrifying, his whole stance had changed in a second. Was his husband mad? Would he kill Barry if he wasn’t careful? His lower lip trembled and Barry bit it down while he nodded. He needed help. He needed someone to explain to him what had happened and how should he proceed. Was this a trick to get him to agree? Or just a side of Leonard Snart that no one else saw? He had been described as fiercely protective and then this? 

 

“Alright.” There was a knock on the door and Len didn’t say anything, but decided that it was best to go and open the door by himself. He had been so close to do something stupid, something that couldn’t have been fixed. “Come in, Maya and thank you.” 

 

“Nothing to worry about, my lord.” The maid came in with several plates by herself. Barry noticed her playful smile and the wink she sent to Len. “I’m glad our young man here decided to eat at last.” 

 

Barry kept quiet while she set the table by herself. When she left, Barry focus went to his husband. The older man was still standing inside the room, unmoving. After what felt like hours, Len moved to sit in front of Barry and divided the food in front of them. There was an unspoken order in the way he moved Barry’s plate closer to the wolf. Barry’s hands were trembling when he picked up the fork, head down. He could feel his husband’s stare on him and Barry had to eat really slowly, forcing each bite down. His stomach was churning to the point that it made him feel sick. He managed to eat half his food before it was too much and he pushed the dish away. 

 

“Barry.” The growl produced by his husband made Barry shiver.

 

“I can’t eat anymore. Please.” He hunched into himself. “Just, please.”

 

“I expect you to have something more for dinner. I don’t want to repeat this repast.” Taking that as permission, Barry got up and went to the dressing room. “Lisa is going to kill me.”

 

He didn’t even turn to look when the kid slammed the door, leaving him behind. He just closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of his chair with sorrow. For a moment he had let his dragon side take over, his possessive and controlling streak almost took over and he knew he could be scary. The only way he had to come back to his senses was seeing how terrified the kid had been under his gaze. How had he let it happen? He was always in control! He wasn’t Mick nor Mark, no, he was always careful with that side of him. He had to fix whatever damage he had done to his starting relationship with Barry before it came to bit him in the ass. 

  
  


Barry ran as soon as he was downstairs. Well, more than run, he bolted. He kept the walls in sight. He passed people and didn’t even care if someone called him back. His breathing was hitched, like he couldn’t get enough oxygen. But as soon as he had crossed the walls, he felt like he could actually breathe again. He disposed of his clothes in a rush and called his wolf. He let the beast take over. He felt his bones breaking and realign with a satisfactory known pain. Reddish brown fur covered previously naked skin and he fell forwards, his paws a soothing view. His yellowish green eyes scanned around him, glad that there wasn’t any witnesses around him. He didn’t wait a second to take off. No, Barry ran as fast as he could. His wolf senses were overwhelmed, the loud sounds coming from behind the walls, the greyish color of the earth beneath his paws, the lingering smell of burnt wood that should have faded ages ago but hadn’t for his senses. He could even taste it in the back of his throat. 

 

Still, nothing mattered. No, as he ran straight ahead, nothing mattered. Nothing but the wind caressing his body, the solid ground underneath his legs. The sun was high and he knew he wasn’t coming back before nightfall. That didn’t bother him in the least. His only objective was getting to the forest. The image of being surrounded by green, by wildlife, the idea of drinking from any body of water. That was what kept him running even when he felt tired because he had been running a lot now and there wasn’t a sign of life around him. He stopped only a second to rest and he looked back. He couldn’t see the dragons’ kingdom but he couldn’t see the forest either. He knew he had ran in a straight line so if he wanted to come back, he could turn around and he would find his way again easily. He didn’t want to though, so once he had caught his breath, he started running again. If he kept up like this, he should be arriving to the forest before sunset. 

 

And despite the passing of time, of hour after hour of running without getting there, Barry never gave up. No, he wanted to see the forest, he wanted to run free without a care in the world. Instead he went faster and faster. Until there it was. It was a line in the horizon, small but there. The forest was there. And it called for him. Barry licked the excess of saliva, his throat was dry, his stomach was reclaiming food and he should rest because his muscles were aching after such a long run. Barry didn’t stop. He kept pushing himself until that small line started to grow more and more. He didn’t stop not even once he was surrounded by tall trees, by the smell of life and prey, by the sound of a river sounding nearby. He didn’t stop running until he was so deep in the forest that he couldn’t see the barren, burnt land behind him. It was dark, not because the trees were too thick but because night had fallen upon him. The young wolf couldn’t care less. He was home now. 

 

He followed the rumor of water to a small river and leaned forward to satiate his thirst eagerly. He was so thirsty and so happy to be in the forest, that the wolf never heard or saw a shadow creeping behind him. He only felt the cold touch of a blade against his neck. 

 

“What is doing a pup like you here, wolf?” The voice didn’t hold any heat but the sword wasn’t trembling. “You are a long way from home I believe.”

  
  


When Len finally could get to his bedroom, it was to find that Barry hadn’t come back. There wasn’t anyone in the bedroom or the bathroom and his heart skipped a beat. Where was his husband? With a deep breath, Len remembered that he had left during the afternoon but Len hadn’t asked where the kid was going. Stupid mistake. One he wasn’t going to make twice once he got Barry back to the castle. Then it hit him. There was music coming from outside and he remembered that there was a party going on. Barry was probably there. As everyone else. Hell, Mark had told him to join him and a few other people since they were going to dance and drink to their hearts content. He should have known that the wolf would probably enjoy the festivities and if someone who knew Barry saw him, they were probably going to watch over Barry and make sure to get his consort back to the castle before it was too late. With that in mind, Len made a beeline to bed and yawning, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He wasn't even worried about Barry. The hatchling was probably with his men and he was going to get up as soon as the kid arrived. 

  
  


Unknown to the dragon, his young consort was far away from home, alone in the dark with a blade threatening his life. Barry made a whining sound that was too scared to be threatening. Even with his faster reflex, if the person to his back felt like it, he would be able to cut off his head before Barry moved far enough. 

 

“So, are you going to shift or do you prefer to die like this?” The voice said, Barry felt the blade move closer to his neck. 

 

Fur retreated, bones realigned themselves and Barry was left kneeling naked in front of the river. His breath was a little bit hitched and the cold breeze made him shiver. He would like to say that he wasn’t terrified but he was to the point that he couldn’t move from where he was. 

 

“You’re a kid. What is a kid doing in a place like this?” The blade retreated and Barry looked over his shoulder. He was surprised to see that the person behind him was as naked as he was, dark curls fell around his face and he was way shorter than the wolf. 

 

“I’m… I wanted to run in the forest?” Barry got up, if he was going to be killed, he preferred it to be standing and not kneeling down. 

 

“I guess that’s an explanation.” The blade dissolved between the stranger fingers and Barry relaxed further. “What’s your name?”

 

“Barry. Barry Allen.” The man standing in front of him looked around his age, with tanned skin and dark eyes. “Who are you?”

 

“I’m Cisco Ramon. And you’re drinking from my home. Which is rude, like rude, rude. You could have asked.” Barry’s focus went to the water when he felt movement and was surprised to see water moving into a ball in front of Barry. “You haven’t encountered a nymph in your life, have you?”

 

Barry shook his head and he could feel his cheeks burning. 

 

“Don’t worry. We don’t kill pups or anyone if I’m honest. That’s more an elf way of doing things.” With that statement, Barry knew he wasn’t in his husband’s kingdom. “So… do you want help going back to whenever you came from?”

 

“I just arrive and you’re kicking me from the forest? Now, that’s rude. I’m also a creature of forests!” He wasn’t going back so soon, he had barely tasted his freedom!

 

“True, but if you came from the north that means that you’re living among dragons and they are forest-burners. I don’t plan on them getting here and burning us all to the ground, thank you very much!” It was true. Barry bit his lower lip. 

 

“Ok. I will leave but not now. No one is going to be looking for me now, they are probably sleeping and won’t notice I’m not there until at least tomorrow.” Hell, would Len even care that he hadn’t gone back? “And I really need this. Otherwise I’m going to go crazy.” 

 

Cisco’s eyes wandered around, pensive. It was true that wolves were normally found in forests and dragons burnt a lot of those in the past. But if this pup was important enough to be looked for, then they wouldn’t burn this side of the forest without knowing if this Barry wasn’t there. Also, Cisco was kind of lonely since he left his family to discover his true powers. 

 

“Alright, but you stick with me. Otherwise, you might get lost and you don’t want to get lost here.” Cisco sat by the riverside with a smile. “We can have each other’s back until you want to go back to the dragons.”

 

Barry nodded. At least he got to stay a little further and he could be back to the castle before anyone was any wiser. What he hadn’t expected was for Cisco to be such a great companion. So they talked and talked and time flew by without them noticing the shadows retreating and the sun raising. 

  
  


When Len had gone to bed the previous night he had been sure that Barry would arrive late. Only problem, kid never came back to the castle and Len woke up to half the bed undisturbed. What…? His stomach turned and his mind raced. Had the kid found someone in town and spent the night with them? 

 

The possibility alone made him feel sick. If Barry had found someone it meant that he could annul their marriage and their alliance would be endangered. He got up and dressed in a hast, mind racing with planning already. He would need Clyde as his best hunter. The younger Mardon could track Barry’s step to the end of the world and get him back to the castle in less than a few hours. 

 

He got up and asked the first manservant he saw to get Clyde to the throne hall. Lisa was getting downstairs and Len stopped her. 

“Were you yesterday in town?” He didn't even greet her. “At night I mean.”

 

“Yeah, it was fun but Mark said you weren't up to that.” Lisa frowned, confused by her older brother. “Why?”

 

“Did you see Barry by any chance?” He didn’t have time to explain further. “Or did any of the others?” 

 

“No, but there were a lot of people, almost the whole town was there.” It was probably like that. They didn't have a lot of festivities so each one was a blast. “Is he missing? Have you talked to Clyde?” 

 

“I’m about to.” He left her there but Lisa followed him. “I hope he is not to hangover.”

 

Lucky him, Clyde was up and sharp as a razor when Len entered the throne hall. The hunter was pacing around with a scowl. It was really early and Clyde hated waking up early if he wasn't hunting. 

 

“Why am I here, your highness?” It was a growl more than anything. “Because it's too fucking early.”

 

“Barry is missing. I want you to find him and bring him here.” That got Clyde’s attention.

 

“Your husband is missing? Never knew the affairs would start so soon.” There wasn't any mockery in his tone, just business. “I will get the hounds and a horse. He is a wolf and my knowledge in wolves is that they can cover a lot of terrain in a small spawn of time, werewolves have their stamina and humans’ intellect. How long since you last saw him?”

 

“Yesterday. We had lunch together and then he left.” He made the math. “Eighteen hours top.” 

 

“I need a map but with that much time, he can leave the kingdom's land.” Would Barry leave their kingdom? “Do I get a team or am I going solo?”

 

“Do you need a team for a retrieval mission, Clyde?” The aforementioned laughed at that and shook his head, eyes bright with amusement. “Then, you better start moving.”

 

Clyde bowed deeply and left to gather his things. Len sighed in desperation. The man was no different from his hounds. He was his best shot at finding his consort and bringing him back. Len needed to focus on that and not on what he was going to do to the kid when he had Barry in front of him. Lisa was still around, her presence nervous and not in a good way. 

 

“What did you do, Lenny? You promised to take care of the kid! How did you allow him to go missing?” His sister was standing in front of him. 

 

“I didn’t do anything.” Lisa snorted at that, unbelieving. “I might have let my dragon to slip but not enough to get him running away.”

 

“You’re so stupid! Caitlin told you to study the wolves before marrying the kid! She told you where to start so you couldn’t fuck up!” Suddenly she was standing in front of him, their chests almost touching. “Fix this, brother, fix it and make sure you keep yourself in check because this child is the best damn thing that is ever going to happen to you, to us.”

 

With that, she left. Why had everyone decided that he didn’t know that the kid was the fucking best thing to ever happen to dragons? First Cait, even before the wedding, then Mick and now Lisa. Ok, not everyone but everyone that mattered one way or another. Len knew that the kid was the perfect means to an end. He didn’t need anyone reminding him of that. He punched the closest wall to control the urge he had to grab the kid, push him against the closest hard surface and claiming him in the vilest way possible. The pain from his knuckles helped but the urge was still there, gnawing at him from the inside. Fuck, fucking fuck! Clyde better hurried up!

  
  


“So this is the elves and faes forest. I get that but I thought they would stay separate.” Cisco chuckled by his side. “I mean, elves and faes aren’t the same!”

 

“Oh, no, they aren’t! They kind of look like the same, ethereally beautiful, pretty old, because let’s face it, they can be really old even if they look my age.” Barry didn’t say anything, not when Cisco looked his age and still was so much older. “But yeah, they are different. Elves can be assholes and kill you without you knowing you’re dead and faes tend to be really emphatic and protectors, they can kill you too but only if you’re threatening one of their own. Elves would kill you if you look at them for more than two seconds straight.”

 

“Really?” Barry picked some berries and munched on them. Man, he was hungry. “Then why are they in the same forest? You put them as if they were allies.”

 

“They are allies, Barry. I guess it’s because they work together and they are better that way. Elves protect the faes and the faes protect every forest creature. Well, they protect anyone really. If you’re in a pinch and need a place to hide, they will accept you, give you a safe haven.” Cisco knew it from experience. “Though in my opinion, they have been working so well together because the Elves’ king and the Faes’ queen are in love.”

 

“So, they are what? Married?” He was so curious, he couldn’t stop himself from asking. 

 

“Dude, they are mates! Marriage is something stupid when your soul calls from other person’s soul.” He knew that well, his mother and father would say that when they met, they knew they were perfect for each other and they had been. “But that’s not the point. They love each other and they work well together, that is what has kept this forest the way it is.”

 

The wolf knew what the water nymph was saying. This forest was huge, way too green, way too alive and there was something in the air that spoke of magic and power. It was nothing like his father’s land. Still, he asked.

 

“What do you mean?” He asked because he knew he was missing something.

 

“This forest is full of magic as you have probably notice. The queen has something to do with it, but that’s not important. The forest protects itself, protects whoever enters it from any danger. If a dragon came here with ill-intentions, the forest would kill him, but if a dragon came here looking for food, the forest would provide.”

 

Oh, so the forest was alive and it had something to do with the Queen of the Faes. She must have been a powerful woman indeed. Barry laid down and Cisco joined him, the sunlight was warm against their skin and they remained in silence for a while. Barry going over all the information he had now and Cisco just enjoying the company. If only he could keep Barry with him… 

 

“You know, I need to go back.” Barry was the first one to break the silence. “Otherwise, my husband is going to think that I left him and I will be in trouble. But I don’t feel like moving.”

 

“When did you marry?” Cisco had noticed that Barry had been itching for a forest but that would be because a lot of motives. 

 

“Two days. I hadn’t notice how much I needed the forest until I saw that my husband’s land had no greenery around, no place for me to shift and run to.” The feeling had been like chopping off a limb without preambule. “I woke up and saw nothing and it was… painful. I hadn't been gone from my father’s kingdom for twenty four hours but for my wolf it felt like years and he hated it.”

 

“So, you ran away and came here. I can relate to that.” His need for water was almost the same. Cisco could go for weeks without touching water but if he ever found himself without a place to swim or the murmur of water, he knew he wouldn’t last an hour. “Is he going to be pissed?”

 

“Probably, Not that I care though. I’m here and I feel at home, I feel like my father is going to come running and join us or Iris. Iris would love it here.” The peaceful atmosphere, the forest’s song, the soft breeze… “Yet, I know that it won’t happen and I get this feeling that just want me to stay here forever. Even when my brain knows that I cannot stay here.”

 

Cisco didn’t reply. He just closed his eyes and let the silence settle between them both. He should tell the pup to leave as soon as possible if his husband was going to be angry at him. However, the words wouldn’t come out and they stayed like that once again, their feet in the water. Like that, they remained unaware of what was coming their way.


	5. Action and Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For every action there is a reaction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter. The angst begins now! 
> 
> Important things: Just a reminder that this is not beta'd or proofread, once I'm done with it, I will edit every chapter changing minor things (the plot will remain the same). 
> 
> Also, there is a time jump in this chapter - otherwise the plot cannot advance - but this won't be the norm. It might happen once or twice again in the future but that's it and only when the plot requires it. 
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy! And remember, kudos and reviews are highly appreciated!

**Action and Reaction**

 

Clyde was a man that lived for hunting. Being a hunter was all that mattered for him. It might have something to do with the fact that it was his duty to provide for his king and kingdom, at least a little bit. Thus he worked hard to be the damn best hunter out there. Ever since he was a child and his mother took him to the field with her, he always looked for trails and was glad when people noticed how good he was at it. His parents had always encouraged him to follow his path. Hell, his brother was proud of him! And Mark was the captain of the guard of the kingdom! But Mark’s eyes would brighten up every time he introduced his brother or talked about his brother’s last trip. 

 

But this hunt was, well, embarrassing. It was probably his most important hunt because it had been his king’s request and yet so embarrassing. He wasn’t supposed to go hunt Len’s consort! Still, Clyde took this assignment very seriously as he received his horse from the stableman that looked after him. Rage was a black stallion that had been difficult to break and moody most of the days, but if Clyde wanted to follow a wolf around, he was the best option. Storm and Fire, his Warren Hounds, were waiting by his sides and the hunter hoped that the pretty boy hadn’t gone too far. With a shirt, Storm and Fire were already looking for a trail while Rage and Clyde walked behind them. 

 

It wasn’t a surprised when the hounds were headed towards the walls. An inconvenience but not a surprise. Neither was the fact that the trail kept going straight in the direction of the forest. Clyde stepped down from the horse and sent him back to the stables, Rage was smart like that. With a whistle both hounds were down and he morphed into his dragon form. The kid had had eighteen - if not more - hours to get as far as he wanted, so if Clyde wanted to catch up to him, a horse was going to be too slow. Once he was transformed into his dragon form, he picked up his hounds - one of the had his sword tied to the loin - between his claws and took off. What was the kid thinking by going there? Death wish or meeting with someone? Both were good possibilities. 

 

However, as he was nearing the forest, Clyde fell into the right state of mind, the hunting was something he was born to do. He was a hunter and this time prey might be Len’s consort, but it didn’t change the fact that he was prey. And he had been given an order: hunt him down. That was what he was going to do, he was going to hunt the boy and deliver him to his king. Once he had fallen into hunting mode, Clyde made sure to move faster and he didn’t stop until he was landing in front of the forest. His dogs started to look for the trail while their owner changed back and picked up his sword but kept it sheathed. The kid better be here. 

  
  


“So you can do whatever  you want with water?” Barry still found it impressive. 

 

“Water is the most flexible element, that means that it adjust to my necessities. It can’t turn into food but well, we die faster without water than without food.” Cisco loved his element and he was proud that Barry shared his enthusiasm. “Still, I want to be able to discover my true powers. This is just normal for my people, but my mom uses water to heal wounds, my brother is amazing with music, he turns the water into an instrument, any instrument, and with the music he generates, he can do so much…”

 

“That sounds impressive. I’m sure you will find your true powers soon enough.” Cisco had said he had been trying to figure it out for years now and Barry didn’t know how long that was, but he was sure he would get there someday. “And you’re going to be amazing.”

 

“Thanks, pup.” If it weren’t for the pet names related to his age, Barry would believe they were the same age. “I’m in no hurry though, I have a lot of time. Also, my people believe that one’s powers come in times of need.”

 

Barry hummed at that. Wolves didn’t have powers, they had the best senses and were great at hunting, but having a nymph talk about healing with water or using music to do things, that was another level of amazing. He realise that dragons didn’t have acute senses, but they managed to be lethal and powerful with their own powers. Still, he wondered what else he could find out there. Cisco had mentioned elves and faes, he had also explain how elves could see even the eye of an ant and hear the burning of the Sun up in the sky, but they were also the best warriors one could find. Regarding the faes, they had powers, each one a different set of powers, but they were also empaths. 

 

“I envy you.” He admitted out loud. He had mostly stayed in his father’s land and except for Oliver, who was an elf, he hadn’t seen many creatures beside wolves. “You have seen so much and I want to see it all.”

 

“I could show you, you know. I could show you the world if you want.” Cisco could share his knowledge with Barry so the kid knew what was out there. “I can talk about changelings and shapeshifters, or about warlocks! Warlocks are amazing! I mean, there are few of them but they are so different from anything I have ever seen!”

 

“I wish I could see it all. I want to meet a lot of people and just learn from them.” But he was royalty. He wasn’t allowed to wander around the world. Hell, he had gotten married with a man he didn’t know. 

 

“That’s hard. I mean, I can travel because I’m a nobody, but how can a young prince, sorry, king’s consort travel?” Barry wished he could say something, but with a lump in his throat, he shrugged and got up. “Where are you going?”

 

“Home. I’ve been out for too long and this has been amazing, but I arrived here at night and it’s going to be noon soon enough, so I will be arriving home at night.” His stomach made a flip when he said ‘home’. “But I will try to come back soon enough, ok?”

 

“I see. Well, let me accompany you, otherwise you might get lost.” Barry laughed at that but nodded. 

  
  


As soon as Clyde and his hounds had entered the forest, Clyde had had the feeling that something was off. His hounds would find a trail and lose it after a few meters, to find it again but in the opposite direction. Not only that but the hunter could swear that the trees moved around him, making it impossible for him to orientate himself. The heat was also almost unbearable and he was sweating buckets. It was uncomfortable and as time went back, the feeling didn’t make his hunt easier. Finally, he decided to rest against a tree with his hounds. If this was going to drag on for longer, he might consider going back to the castle and coming with more people. Otherwise, his prey would escape and that was something that Clyde Mardon, leader of the hunting squad, wasn’t going to allow. 

 

Suddenly Fire stood, his body a tense line ready to run. Storm was by his side, she remained calm but ready, waiting for their master’s order. Clyde moved slowly and gave a low whistle. At that, both hounds bolted in the direction of whatever caught their attention. The dragon didn’t hesitate to run after them, hoping this was it. Neither houd was known for getting distracted by a hare during their hunts. Clyde had made sure of it as he trained them. So, this could only be one thing: they had found a hot trail of their prey and by how silent they were, Barry Allen was close by. He just hoped the forest didn’t play any more tricks. 

 

Yet, he was surprised by what he saw. Hell, he had to be the person with the worst luck ever! Len was going to find out that he had found his consort naked in the forest with another man also naked! This had to be some secret affair the kid had had since he looked so at ease with the other guy. Len was going to be pissed, rightfully pissed. The kid didn’t deserve any mercy after this stunt. But Clyde wasn’t going to kill him here on the spot, no, he was going to get the pretty boy to his husband so Lenny could deal with him. The younger Mardon left his hiding spot before the wolf decided to run away once more. 

 

“Barry Allen.” But the kid wasn’t even embarrassed about his naked state. So, Clyde put on his best poker face, squared his shoulders. “I’m here to take you back to your king.” 

 

The kid paled considerably under his severe stare. From Barry’s end, it felt like he was going to be punished for something he knew nothing about. But if Clyde was here, it was probably on Len’s orders, so… yeah. He was going to be punished harshly and he felt sick. Cisco stood in front of him suddenly, the nymph had probably sensed Barry’s distress and well, dragons weren’t that loved around the forest. 

 

“Don’t dare made another, move, dragon.” Cisco ordered with a hand towards Clyde and the other one at his back, keeping Barry behind him. Funny thing, Barry was taller than Cisco. “I don’t know how you have fooled the forest, but I won’t allow you to harm the pup.”

 

“I won’t repeat myself. I’m here to take you back to your king, Barry Allen.” Clyde didn’t care about who this little man was or what his relationship with the consort was. He was a hunter on a mission. “I don’t intend to harm you but I will be forced to if you don’t come willingly.” 

 

Clyde noticed that the trees started to shift once again and he stepped forward as to not lose sight of the young wolf. So, it was like that. The forest reacted to anything negative, even words that weren’t really a threat. It made this way easier to deal with because the man protecting his objective couldn’t do anything either. Once he was within grasp distance, he knew he was right. The kid backed up, pushing Barry with him and the hunter smiled as he dashed forward to grab the kid and pressed the naked body against his own. This would be so much fun if it weren’t because the wolf was his king’s husband. 

 

“Sorry, boy, but you’ve been missing since yesterday noon and your king is worried.” It was a lie, Barry noticed it immediately and his body went tense, too frightened to flee. “Shall we now? I want to deliver you like this naked as the sinner you are.”

 

“S-sinner?” The answer to Barry’s question was a knowing smirk and cold eyes. “I don’t know…”

 

“Hush, now. I can’t wait until Len decides to punish you for your crimes.” Cisco moved forward then, taking advantage of Clyde’s distraction, to find himself with the tip of a sword against his neck. “And you, you better run and hide like the rat you are, otherwise, forest or not, I’ll exterminate you.”

 

“Hey, Cisco…” Once the nymph’s eyes are on him, Barry offers a friendly smile. “Thank you, and I’m sorry.” 

 

Clyde began to walk backwards and with a whistle his dogs were by their side. They kept walking like that until Cisco was out of sight. Only then did the hunter turn around. His grasp around Barry’s wrist turned painful and the wolf hissed, thought he didn’t try to get away. He knew it would make things worse for himself if he fought against the dragon. His eyes watered up but he didn’t allow any tear to fall. Neither of them said a word as they walked. Clyde noticed that this time the forest wasn’t playing tricks on him, quite the contrary, the path underneath his feet was easy to follow and he could see already the barren lands of his kingdom. 

 

“Is he… is he too mad?” Barry’s question was hesitant and Clyde growled. “I told him I was going to go out!”

 

“The nerve!” Clyde pushed the kid against the nearest tree and was glad when Barry moaned in pain. “You left yesterday! To meet with a stranger! I caught you naked with your lover and you dare ask if he is mad!? You should beg on your knees for forgiveness, little piece of shit!”

 

“Yo-you hurting me…” Clyde never felt more like punching someone like he did in that moment. “P-please.”

 

“I should do more than hurt you, bastard. I should kill you right now and here and save us all from your disgrace.” Tugging the kid forward, they kept on walking and didn’t stop until they were outside the forest. Clyde stopped and took off his coat, at least the wolf could put on something. “Put this on. We still have a few hours before arriving at the castle.”

 

In his mind, he did the math. They were going to arrive after nightfall. Luckily, everyone would be sleeping or heading to bed. Well, everyone except Len, who would be waiting for Clyde to hand his consort over. He wished he could be present for the kid’s punishment. Because sure as hell Len was going to punish him. After Clyde said everything he had witnessed, Len was going to give Barry a hard time and the wolf would deserve everything and more. Hell, Len should call off the alliance and annul their marriage! For now, he was going to deliver Barry, talk to Len about what he found out and he would wait until tomorrow. As he changed, he thought of what would happen if the alliance was called off and the young prince returned to his father’s land. Man, he had been eager to go and hunt on wolves’ territory. 

 

“Up.” He grumbled and his hounds laid down to be picked up. Once Barry was on his back, moving uncomfortable, and he had his claws around the dogs, he took off. His mind was racing towards Len and how disappointed the king would be. 

 

At least the views were amazing from up there, Barry noticed. He kept his eyes on the forest at their back, feeling miserable already as the tree tops grew more and more distant. It was only then when he realized he hadn’t gotten to the lake, hadn’t drink water from it. Cisco felt more as a dream, an illusion than a real person as they left behind the only forest in hundreds of miles. Except that if Cisco hadn’t been real, Clyde wouldn’t have been so mad and the proof of his rage was Barry’s throbbing back. He could feel the bruises forming and the skin felt raw. There wasn’t blood, Barry would have smelt that, but it hurt and Len was probably going to punish him more when they arrived. Would it hurt too much if Barry decided to let go of Clyde and fall to the ground? They were quite high… 

 

But he couldn’t. He couldn’t do that to his father and his family back in wolves’ land. They deserve better. So, that same moment, Barry decided that he was going to accept whatever punishment Len decided fit for the crime he thought Barry had committed. But he had told him that he was going to go out! And alright, he had been out for more than a day, apparently, but he had been in the forest, with someone who understood what it felt like… Cisco had been the first person outside his kingdom to get him in a way that no one else could. He had to tell Len that much. Only then could his husband understand what had driven Barry to leave. Only then could he avoid an undeserved punishment. 

 

He must have dozed off because when he came to his senses, they were flying above the castle. It was like the first time he arrived. Everything was dark except for a few lights around the castle, the guards weren’t waiting for them but still there. Though this time he was being pushed around by a furious dragons instead of leaded gently. They stopped in front of his bedroom’s door and Barry’s heart skipped a beat, his lungs didn’t seem like they were functioning as he was unable to breathe. Clyde knocked on the door and they waited patiently. It was like looking through someone else’s eyes. 

 

The door opened and Len’s stare fell on him, Barry ducked his head as he was incapable of looking at those eyes filled with rage. Clyde was talking but beside some words, the wolf couldn’t hear anything. But it was enough: forest, naked, lover, affair; the choking atmosphere grew in intensity and suddenly he was inside his bedroom. Len was by the door, Barry by the bed, coat pressed tight against his lean frame, and thousands of images crossed his mind while the crushing silence remained between them. Len’s body was a tense line, rage pouring out from him in overwhelming waves. 

 

“You…” Len’s voice was strained. “I don’t, I can’t even look at you right now.” 

 

There was so many feelings barely contained in that sentence. The prince wanted to shrink until he could be invisible. Neither of them moved for a second that seemed an hour. Suddenly, Barry was being shoved against the wall by the balcony door, the wind knocked out of him by the impact and he coughed pathetically. Still, their eyes didn’t meet for a second. Barry was trembling and Len’s fingers were going to leave marks on his shoulders from the force he was using against him. It wasn’t easy to bruise a wolf, that was proof more than enough of how strong dragons truly were.

 

“How could you do this!?” The roar forced Barry to flinch with closed eyes. “An affair!? We haven’t been married for a week!!”

 

There wasn’t anything he could say to prevent this. Len was beyond furious and he wasn’t going to listen to anything he had to say. No, Len was too gone to listen to Barry’s explanation. Suddenly, the coat around him - the only thing keeping his modesty intact - was ripped from him and Barry gasped in shock. Tears rolled down his face as Len started to touch him roughly, not in a sexual way, but harshly enough for Barry to feel violated. 

 

“You said you were a virgin! And I fucking believed you! You must have laughed quite a lot about it, haven’t you!?” Barry tried to defend himself, to stop Len’s hands as they got more and more intimate. “I was going to wait for you, for as long as it took and you were spreading your legs to whoever that man was! I married a prince, not a whore!”

 

“Stop!” His voice came out unfaltering, scared and strong and it seemed to get to Len. The dragon stopped and Barry wanted to curl into himself. “Please stop.” 

 

“You slept with another man, didn’t you?” Barry shook his head as a sob escaped his lips. “You left the castle to go and meet a man and have sex with him. And I believed in your words like an idiot while you were planning on doing this!”

 

“N-no, I didn’t. I p-promise I didn’t.” Len took a step backwards, not enough space between them, but enough for Barry to curl inwards as his body trembled, his knees going weak. “I didn’t, I didn’t...”

 

Without Len’s hands to keep him standing, Barry fell to his knees as his hands tried to cover as much skin as he could. There was a sharp intake of breath above him, steps and then the slamming of a door. Nothing made Barry move from his spot on the floor. He had been prepared for anything, for yelling, for hitting, for punishment. Still, he hadn’t been prepared to what had happened. Len’s hands had been cold against his warmer than average skin, yet they had left a burning trail behind them. From his shoulders, going up to his neck, down his collarbones and torso, the inside of his tights, even the small of his back was burning and it made Barry sick. 

  
  


Len walked down the corridor. He was pale and furious, so furious. At Barry, at himself, at the world and everything! He had tried! He had been nice enough and tried to be understanding and what did the kid do? He went and cheated on him! He turned around, he was going to his room and… No. No. He wasn’t going to go anywhere. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. If he went back to their room he was going to do something he would regret later on. Like take the kid by force. Force him to bend over the bed and take, take, take until there was anything left. He wanted to do it so badly that it hurt. He needed to punch something. Or someone. Not the kid, no, he wasn’t going near there. No, he needed something else. If he could clear his head, he would be able to go back and clean his own mess. However, as lost as he was in his fury, he would only worsen the situation. 

 

“You look like a man who could use a drink.” It was unsurprising to see that Mark was there with a bottle of wine. “Come on, let’s go outside.”

 

“Clyde told you, didn’t he?” Len should be angry at his hunting squad leader, he knew he would be if he hadn’t been so angry at Barry. 

 

“He did. He said that you better punish the prince for his sin.” From the two of them, Clyde had always been the hotheaded. Mark guessed it was because he was still too young. “And I know what anger can do to a man, so I came to make sure you didn’t do anything rush.”

 

“How do you know I haven’t done it already?” They were outside, by the frutal trees. Now Len felt like an idiot for thinking that Barry and he could sit underneath these and feed each other like an actual couple. 

 

“Because if you had, you wouldn’t be here.” Mark took out two cups and poured wine in them. “And there would be a lot of people standing outside hearing your husband scream.”

 

Len felt sick with that. The sole idea of making Barry scream in anything but pleasure brought a bitter taste to the back of his throat. As they sat there, drinking their first cup of wine, Len let his mind wander to what Mark had said. He knew that Mark’s father had been an angry man, but it had been nothing compared to what he had turned into when his mother had even attempted to leave him. If the king closed his eyes, he could still see the broken body of the woman, bleeding and crying. Clyde had been born nine months later.

 

“I wouldn’t do something like that.” Len wouldn’t be the cause of Barry’s nightmares. 

 

“I know you wouldn’t. But we can lose ourselves in rage and not even notice until it’s too late.” His cup was full again. “So, I’m here to distract you before you do something you might regret later.”

 

“I’m so furious, Mark.” Clyde had told him everything he had seen at the forest. He had make it clear what he had thought when he saw them and Len had seen red. “I hadn’t seen him naked until today and it wasn’t on his own accord. I ripped your brother’s coat from him and… I wanted to take. To take him apart until he was only mine.”

 

“You could have done it, so why didn’t you do it?” That was the question, wasn’t it? He could have raped Barry and nobody would have say a word because they were married. But he hadn’t. 

 

“I hurt him, I was about to toss him to the bed when he started crying.” Naked and crying, incapable of meeting his eyes and so afraid. The emotion he had seen on his husband’s eyes had been pure, unadulterated terror. Barry had been terrified from him and it made Len feel things he hadn’t felt in years. “So I left. I guess that was the best outcome.”

 

“Did you listen to what he had to say, Len?” No, Len hadn’t. With a sigh Mardon drowned the rest of his drink. “You should do it. Ask him to tell you what happened. Clyde only saw part of whatever was going on, he made assumptions and so did you. For my perspective, they could have been swimming and playing around, nothing sexual.”

 

“I think your brother would have notice it if they had been swimming, Mark.” Except that Barry had been gone since yesterday. Fucking hell. Being single was so much easier. “I shouldn’t care about it. It’s not like I love the kid. I married him for my kingdom.”

 

“Love doesn’t matter here, Len. You married the kid because we need the alliance. If the rumour of the prince cheating on you spreads, we can kiss the alliance goodbye. The marriage would be annul, he would go back to his father and we lose everything we have been working so hard to get.” Amen to that. If their marriage was annul, Barry wouldn’t lose anything but his reputation, nothing that couldn’t be regain easily, but Len’s kingdom needed the wolves as allies. “If you consummate your marriage though...”

 

“If I do it and then send him home, I know I can get the wolves to agree to maintain the alliance but at what cost?” Raping the kid, sending him home in disgrace and then enjoy the advantages of an alliance didn’t sit well with Len. The kid’s life would be in ruins and cheater or not, nobody deserved that. “No, I want to do this right. Talk to Clyde and made sure he keeps his mouth shut. At least until I can come up with a plan.”

 

“Will do, boss.” The bottle laid empty between them and maybe it was because of the wine, but Len wasn’t angry anymore. Tired, yes, but not angry. “Go to your room and apologize. You need to be in the kid’s good graces if you want to have your wicked way with him.”

 

Mark got up and left him there. He should go back, but he didn’t want to face whatever was waiting for him there. The kid was probably still crying or sleeping. Even in those cases, he would have gone, but Len didn’t want to face the outcome of his rage filled assault just yet. He waited until the sun was peeking over the horizon to get up and make the way back to his room. There was a maid arriving at the same time with two buckets of boiling water and he stopped her before she could go inside. 

 

“I will take those, thank you.” He didn’t need anyone else knowing what had happened. Once the maid was gone, Len entered his room and left the buckets by the bathroom door when he heard a whimper. “Barry?”

 

He saw the kid in the same spot he had left him, except the kid was laying on his side, curl into himself, knees pressed against his chest. Len took no pleasure in the sight. Instead, he grabbed the blanket from their bed and wrapped the naked boy with it as carefully as he could. Barry’s eyes fluttered for a second and Len noticed how they were puffed, tears marks marring his face. As slowly as he could, he lifted the sleeping form and move him to the bed. Except the hatchling stirred up and their eyes met. It was no surprise that the young prince’s eyes filled with tears again. 

 

“I’m sorry I left.” He said with a small sob. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s ok. We will talk once you have rest.” The dragon had to apologize too. He laid the kid down and tightened the blanket around the shivering form. “Sleep now.”

 

He waited until his husband’s body relaxed again as he dozed off to move. As much as he had to apologize for his violent behavior, Clyde was right about something. He needed to punish the kid for this little stunt of his. He didn’t want to be harsh, so he had to think of something that wouldn’t make them both miserable. He sat in the balcony and received breakfast at the door as he didn’t want people to enter his room until he had talk to Barry in private. 

 

Len didn’t leave the room until the kid woke up again, not even an hour later. Hell, he didn’t even talk to Barry as the kid entered the bathroom and cleaned up. Once the wolf was sitting in front of him, eyes cast down but body tense, Len proceeded to serve breakfast and still, no word came out. Who was going to initiate the conversation? The one who had to explain or the one who had to punish? Under Len’s stare, Barry nibbled at his lower lip nervously. Well, that settled it. 

 

“You are forgiven for running away for a whole day.” Let’s start with the hard part. “But you are to remain inside the walls of the kingdom, no more running to the forest. We don’t need people to start thinking you’re up to something. And to make sure that you don’t do anything stupid, I’m going to assign a soldier to be with you at all times, except when you’re in our room. Understood?”

 

“Yes, your highness.” Len wished he could see the totality of Barry’s face, but the child’s hair fell over his eyes. “But… I need to say something, if I’m allowed to?”

 

“Talk then.” He tried to remain calm, keeping his emotions on a short leash. 

 

“I didn’t run to meet any lover. I’m not having an affair and I can promise that I wouldn’t ever do something like that, no matter what.” Except that he couldn’t prove that Cisco had been someone he had just met and they had clicked in a friendly manner. “I just needed to run as a wolf, I hadn’t even planned to be go for so long.”

 

“I believe you.” Partially, the dragon needed to talk with his fellow ice dragon, Cait and question her about wolves and whatever. If this was going to be more than marry and have separate lives, he had to study the wolves. “But that doesn’t change the fact that what you did was stupid, reckless and you could have died. I was worried when I woke up and you weren’t here. Then I just go more and more angry as time passed by. What I did yesterday to you wasn’t alright, I won’t try to excuse myself. So, I apologize and I hope we can work this out, though your punishment is going to be permanent. For your safety. And I don’t want to hear more about this need you have to run outside the walls, there is plenty of places to run to inside them. You have a beautiful garden down there with a lot of space to just let go if you have to shift and run.”

 

Barry looked down to the garden and his first thought was ‘prison’. His eyes stung with new tears and he blinked them away. No, he had cried already. Instead of protesting, Barry nodded with the belief that if he even thought of talking back, his husband would revert to the state he was yesterday. His wolf, on the other hand, allow himself to cry in Barry’s chest as he was now chained to a kingdom with no forest. No forest but a garden. That had to count right? It had to. Barry forced himself to eat his breakfast, even when he had a knot in his stomach and a lump in his throat. He tried to act as normal as possible to avoid any further confrontation. Len probably would appreciate it if he didn’t act like a spoilt brat. Barry was hopeful that if he behaved for a few days, his husband would forgive everything and give him back his freedom to come and go wherever, whenever. 

  
  


Except that two weeks went by and Len hadn’t changed his mind. Not at all. He had forced this routine on Barry and it was taking a toll on him. Every day after washing up and having breakfast together, Barry was accompanied by a random soldier to the throne hall where he sat listening to all petitions and problems for hours. He would take note of each one. Then he had lunch with Lisa, Mick and Caitlin - and despite the fact that it had started being really awkward, Barry had grown quite fond of Caitlin and her lovers, but mostly Caitlin -; then he would meet with Len in his office to discuss what to do with each citizen’s problem and after writing a letter to each one of them, the soldier would go and deliver them and Barry would be alone. It was probably Len’s way of giving him permission to run around the garden. 

 

Except the garden hadn’t worked out. No, the first day that Barry had gone to the garden and tried its limits, it had been a disaster. Every time he saw the trees from their bedroom’s balcony Barry had this urge to cry. He remembered how he had decided to laid under a tangerine tree because it smelt really well and he had found himself surrounded by kids. Kids that decided that he was a really cute dog and petted him until their mothers called them while apologizing to him. Once the kids had left, Barry let the humiliation swallow him up and he had hided in his room until dinner time. He hadn’t said anything to Len because he knew his husband would have laughed at the situation. Len didn’t understand what it had been like. 

 

Since then, when the soldier left his side to act as a postman, Barry would hide in the library. It had been a surprise when he discovered it. And it wasn’t like it was a small, dusty room. No, the library, like the rest of the castle, was a piece of art. It was a two floors room, the stairs to the second floor began at either side of the door, and the side of the stairs were shelves filled with books. Once you reached the center of the room you would notice the ceiling made of one big window and Barry had wondered how they cleaned that but well... dragons. It allowed the light to enter the library and warm it too. The wood of the shelves was dark and Barry had noticed from the first day that it was dusted every day. The books were organized by topics and they were well-kept. It always intrigued Barry since he hadn’t seen a single person in the library since he began to spend time there. 

 

But it didn’t matter because if no one was there, he was free to lay down on any of the divans scattered around the first floor or in front of the big fireplace of the second floor. No one was around to judge him for his manners while reading. Also, there was no way he was going to be running out of reading material. Currently, he had started to read a book in amatorial arts. Not because he was thinking of having sex with Len, especially not now that he was more a prisoner than anything else. But because he was curious and he wanted to know what to expect if they ever reached that point in their relationship. That was another reason to be glad nobody was around the library when he was in there. He could have died of embarrassment if anyone had seen him reading a book on how to prepare oneself for a lovemaking session. 

 

It was kind of sad though he decided. The only time of the day that he was truly happy, that he felt truly free, was when he was at the library, when he would laid down on his favorite divan at the back with a book in his hands. He guessed it was because when he was reading, the wolf would stay quiet and relaxed while the rest of the time, his animal side was clawing at his inside, howling and in too much pain. Outside the library and as days went by, it was harder to breathe and move, to act like he was alright. And it had reached the point where it wasn’t just mental. His decision of not to shift was affecting his health as well. 

 

He hadn’t noticed it at the beginning. But after a week, he had started to get headaches and dizzy spells. He knew it was the beginning of a well-known illness between wolves that refused to shift for one reason or another. He knew what to expect and he realised that he didn’t care about it. He was ready for memory loss, for long periods of apathy, self-harm. He was ready for that and yet he found himself wishing that it didn’t went that far. He wished for Len to notice that he was killing his husband with this punishment. 

 

However, what Barry hadn’t taken into account was that symptoms varied from person to person. So, after two weeks of punishment he found himself staring at the blood drop in the middle of the book he was reading. He didn’t move for a whole minute, eyes fixed on that tiny drop marring the white page. Then he pressed his middle finger against his philtrum. When he looked at it, his fingertip was stained with blood. What was the meaning of that? He got up in a hurry and he had to hold himself against the closest shelf when dizziness made him sway on the spot. Once he recovered, he crossed the library, book forgotten. He pressed his jacket sleeve against his nose and stopped the first member of the staff he crossed. There was only one person who could help him and it wasn’t Len. 

 

“Excuse me, where can I find Shawna?” He was in such a hurry that he forgot about titles. 

 

“Doctor Shawna is at her office. Take the second to the right in this same corridor and it’s the fourth door to the left, your highness.” There was a note of urgency in the manservant’s voice as he pointed where to go. “Do you want me to get your husband, my lord?”

 

“No, no, it’s alright. Thank you!” He turned around and rushed towards Shawna’s office. 

 

Except he never got there. As soon as he turned the corner, his vision was filled with dark spots and a wave of nausea made him double in pain. His hand shot out to leverage himself against the wall and missed terribly. The floor was coming closer but it didn’t matter when Barry had lost his battle against unconsciousness. 

 

“My lord!” The manservant run to the fallen prince. A maid came from the other side and he stopped her. “Laura, go and get the king! I will take the prince to the doctor, hurry!!” 

 

With care, the manservant, Joey, picked up the wolf bridal style and hurried to Shawna’s office. He didn’t even bother to knock on the door as it was an emergency. Lucky him, Shawna was alone in her office and as soon as she saw the young man in his arms, she went into doctor mode. 

 

“Put him on the bed.” She brought her tools by their side. “What happened?”

 

“I don’t know, doctor. He asked for your office and as soon as he turned the corner, he just fell. I sent someone to bring the king.” She nodded to his explanation but her attention was on the prince. “May I help with something?”

 

“Bring me that bottle over there.” After a quick exam, Shawna realised Barry was fine except for the obvious. But she was worried about the stains of blood that seemed even more red against the pale skin. When Joey brought her the aforementioned bottle, she used it to raise the kid from unconsciousness. “Look like he is stirring up.”

 

“What happened?” She didn’t need to look behind her to know that Len had gotten there in record time. “Is he alright, Shawna?”

 

“I need to ask him a few questions when he is alert, then I can give you an honest answer.” The doctor put a pillow underneath the kid’s legs and opened the windows. “Is he eating and drinking properly?”

 

“Yes, I make sure he always eats with someone.” Joey was dismissed by the older man and Len took the kid’s hand between his. “He had a nosebleed.”

 

“Looks like it, and that can be nothing or a lot. Has he been suffering from joint pains or anything else?” It could be a one time thing or something that the hatchling had been hiding, and Len shrugging wasn’t helping at all. “Look like he is becoming more alert. Hello, Barry.”

 

The emerald eyes turned to her, he was still pale. Shawna turned around to get him a sweet from the kid patients’ jar. But when she went to pressed it against his lips, he turned the face to the other side. 

 

“Barry?” He had closed his eyes again. “Are you with us?”

 

“It’s not related to sugar.” Oh, so the kid knew what was going with him. “You have a meeting with the lords.”

 

“You’re more important that those uptights. What happened, Red?” Len’s fingers combed Barry’s hair. “You fainted and I know you haven’t skipped a meal.”

 

“It’s a wolf thing.” He was still a bit out. Enough that Shawna decided that if he didn’t sweets, he needed at least some water and offered a glass of water. If it was a wolf thing, it was safe to give him something to drink. “Shifting deprivation.”

 

“You haven’t changed since you came here?” Len frowned. What was the kid saying? He had time to shift and run, so why was he suffering from shifting deprivation? 

 

“Last time was two weeks ago.” There tears in his eyes and he wasn’t looking at either of them. “I can’t… Here, I can’t…”

 

“Shawna, give us the room.” Len made sure to use his more commanding tone to make sure that Shawna knew this was an order and not a request.

 

“Yes, I will go check the library books.” The doctor made sure to close the door behind her when she left. 

 

“Kid, look at me.” When Barry didn’t, Len tilted his head until their eyes met. “I didn’t told you to not shift, so, why haven’t you doing it?”

 

“I need a forest. I tried to tell you.” Obviously, he never did. Not with those words. “I’m not a dog, Len. I’m a wolf and we need more than a garden to run.”

 

Len didn’t say anything as he stared at the kid, he was looking for the lie, but the kid was being honest. He wanted to hit something, probably himself. With a sigh, he cupped the boy’s face. He was cold to the touch. 

 

“Ok, why don’t you rest today and tomorrow I will take you to the forest myself?” Yet the prince shook his head and tears fell from his eyes. “Barry, you need to go and I will take you there if that’s what you need to feel better.”

 

“No. I want to go home.” Len wasn’t going to admit that it hurt. The kid wasn’t referring to his castle as home yet, after three weeks of marriage. “I want to go home, even for a day. Please. I want to see my dad and my friends. I need my pack.”

 

“Ok, I will arrange it for you to go there tomorrow. You will go home tomorrow. But you need to promise me that you will come back.” Barry nodded with a shaky smile despite the tears still rolling down his face. “You should have told me what you needed, Barry. You need to talk to me, otherwise, you will make yourself miserable and I won’t be able to help you. I don’t want you to be miserable, Scarlet. Now, get some rest.”

 

The kid moved his hand and pressed it against Len’s hand still holding his face. His eyes fell close and Len lean forward and pressed a soft kiss against the prince’s forehead when the kid’s breath evened. 


	6. Reality Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry visits his father with the intention to recover, he gets a reality check instead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I'm not dead and I'm not going to abandon this fanfic either, don't worry. But this chapter was a challenge for me. Not because of anything special, but I have to warn you.
> 
> WARNING: Eobard is back, that sucks, and there is slight dub-con in this chapter, also poorly written smut, you have been warned. Read at your own risk.
> 
> Sorry for any typos or mistakes, this work is being revised but this is - so far - a 77 pages long doc, be patient please.
> 
> Thank you for the reviews and kudos, they are love!

**Reality Check**

 

True to his word, the next morning after Barry’s admission that he was suffering from shift deprivation, Len prepared everything for his consort’s trip. He even got a maid to take him there - as it would take less time than going by horse - and take him back before nightfall. Barry had felt such happiness that he couldn’t contain his smile. Though he didn’t notice Len’s somber aura seeping from him in waves. Or the way that Lisa was looking at him two steps behind her brother. He had ride the green dragon’s back and relaxed when she took off. The prince even enjoyed the views and the feeling of the wind against his skin. 

 

As soon as the dragon landed, Barry dismounted her with a joyous laugh. When his feet touched the ground, it was a rush of energy surging through him and Barry felt like he could breathe again, like he had never left the forest behind, like he hadn’t been depriving himself from shifting. He felt more energetic and happy than ever, he felt even better than before getting married! His skin tingled with the need to shift and he smiled at the dragon that was slowly shifting to his human form. Well, it would have to wait, but the wolf was behaving in eagerness. 

 

“Thank you for bringing me here, Yvette.” The young maid smiled at him with a nod. Yvette had turned to be a great companion, she was quiet but kind and had tried to fly as fast as she could to get him here soon. “Let’s go. I’m sure my father is going to be surprised when I show up.”

 

It was going to be a short visit. Not even a day long visit. A few hours. He had promised Len that he would go and be back by nightfall. Things hadn’t been going good between them since his ‘punishment’ had started and it had only gotten worse with Barry’s behavior. He was conscious of that. So the younger man decided that it was the less he could do to not put more strain on their marriage. He was going to try harder to be better for the dragon. Len had asked him to talk to him and share whatever was burdening him, so Barry was going to do it. But first, he needed to recover for a day. 

 

It took them an hour to arrive to the town using the same trail the dragons had used for the wedding and Barry couldn’t help but blush when memories filled his mind. He had saw Len and he had thought how handsome he was, then their first real kiss - he wasn’t counting the wedding kiss - when his wolf had decided that submission was the best course of action and the human had been terrified. Maybe the wolf had been onto something back then when Len had dominated the kiss. Then it occurred to him as they were entering the castle, that that was the actual problem. His wolf was trying to tell the human something but the human wasn’t listening to the animal. It was also the solution, he had to listen to the wolf. And ask another wolf that was already married and really happy in their marriage.

 

“Barry!” However, he had to spend some time with his father. “My son! It took you awhile to come see your old man!” 

 

Barry smiled as excited as his father was and they hugged like instead of three weeks, they hadn’t seen each other in years. Barry let a tear slip because his father smelt like pack and pack was everything for a wolf. So far his husband couldn’t inspire the same feeling of belonging and safety, thus the need that Barry had to be with his father. Except his father took a step back and he was frowning. 

 

“Is everything ok, kid?” Barry blushed because he knew where the question came from. “Is Leonard not treating you right?”

 

“He is treating me fine, father.” It wasn’t a lie, not the entire truth but not a lie. “He is waiting for me to be ready and he has breakfast with me, he even gave me a job!”

 

He tried to sound cheerful and his father decided to believe him. Just this once at least. Henry wasn’t going to force his son to tell him anything if Barry didn’t want to. But he was going to be there for his child once he decided to share with his father whatever was bothering him. Having taken that decision, Henry guided the young prince to the library. It had always been Barry’s sanctuary. 

 

“I’m here just for a day, father, and to be honest, I’d planned to spend all of it running and hunting.” He needed it. “Because I can’t do that in the dragons’ land since they don’t have a forest around like us. But I would like to talk to you about some kingdoms matters if you can spare a few minutes.”

 

“I don’t need to spare time for you, Barr, I will always have time for you. When it comes to you, there is nothing more important for me.” They sat at the back of the library, there nobody would disturb them. “Now, go ahead. I’m all ears.” 

 

Barry took a deep breath, it would give him time to organise his thoughts. There was so much he wanted to talk about with his father that his head was a mess. He tried to prioritise and forget about anything non-important. His marital problems, for example, were unimportant, and his father didn’t need to hear about it. 

 

“The dragons want to hunt around here, but they don’t understand what it is like to hunt as wolves, so I wanted to ask for your permission and for some record books so they can study them.” His father hummed and his gaze wandered around the shelves. “It doesn’t have to be the last one or anything like that.” 

“I guess they can hunt as long as they respect the equilibrium, but they need to hunt in their human forms.” Barry could see the logic behind that request. “And nothing that requires fire.”

 

“Alright. That takes me to my second request: Can I take some seeds from our forest? I don’t know if they can grow around Len’s castle.” With this his father got up and went to a shelf that Barry knew had every book on botanics. “I’d love to have a piece of home up there.”

 

“I don’t know much about the trees around that area, but there are certain species that can survive the harshest weather.” When his father sat down again, he was ogling an old tome with yellowed pages. “Here they are.”

 

Barry read the page, he knew all the names, they were really resilient trees and quick to spread. If he managed to convince Len to plant those trees in a small patch outside the castle, in a few months there should be a small forest for him. He nibbled his lower lip, Len’s words in his head. 

 

“Is the forest beautiful in your husband’s land?” Barry frowned and willed the tears away when he shook his head. “Isn’t it?”

 

“There is…” His voice faltered for a second and Barry had to breathe in. “There is no forest in dragons’ land. They burnt it ages ago.”

 

“So, where are you shifting? You know it’s not good for your health to not shift.” Barry ducked his head, he hadn’t wanted for his father to find out about the real reason of his visit. Henry placed a hand on his knee. “Son, what’s is going on? You can tell me.”

 

“I don’t want to endanger our alliance, father, and it’s really nothing.” He swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I don’t have a place to shift and that’s ok, I can manage. There are a lot of wolves that don’t need to change as much as others, or for so long. As long as I spend a few hours a week in my wolf form, I will be alright, won’t I?”

 

“Those wolves are special cases and you know it, old people that have trained for as long as they have lived. You’re young and you need to change.” Henry lifted his son’s face until they eyes met. “If you want me to, I can talk to Leonard.”

 

“No, that won’t be necessary, father!” That was the last thing their marriage needed. “I will take the seeds with me and I will have a place to run, I’m sure he won’t be opposed to the idea.” 

 

“Alright. I trust you, but if I hear that you aren’t being cared for, I will go up there and have a few words with Leonard.” There was a knock on the door and both men looked up to see Eobard Thawne leaning against the doorframe. “Councillor Thawne.”

 

“Your highness. I see the young prince has come to visit us.” The smile plastered on Eobard’s face indicated that he had known the prince was there. “I was wondering if it was possible to have a few words with him in private.”

 

“What about, Councillor?” Henry got up and stood between his son and the councilman which seemed to amuse the latter. 

 

“Oh, just some matters regarding the dragon king, my lord. So, if  you may.” His father looked at him and Barry nodded, Thawne was a condescential bastard but a harmless one. Henry walked to the door. “Thank you, King Allen.” 

 

“So, what’s the matter you wanted to discuss, Councillor Thawne?” The door was closed by Thawne and he strode across the room in a manner that reminded Barry of a snake hunting. 

 

“You know how the maids love to gossip, don’t you?” And he was suddenly standing in front of Barry, something dark in the back of his eyes. “I heard them talking about an interesting piece of information that got me really upset.”

 

“What were they saying?” Barry tried to look as assured as he could, like it didn’t bothered him that people were talking. 

 

“That you are as virginal as you were when you left.” Barry felt cold and his blood left his face while Eobard just smiled. “You know that if you don’t consummate your marriage before the month is over, you marriage can be annulled and there won’t be an alliance. You will return here in disgrace and no one will ever want you, prince or not.”

 

“Len said-” The councilman lifted a hand to cut whatever the prince was going to say. 

 

“It doesn’t matter what he says, Barry. What does matter is that you had a job, a very simple job: to spread your legs and keep the alliance going.” The younger wolf tensed at the words thrown his way, they felt like a punch to the gut. “You haven’t done it yet and now everything your grandfather and your father had worked so hard to get will be shattered by a stupid kid. But I came here to give you the information you’re lacking so you can do what you need to do. So, go back to your husband, seduce him and make sure the alliance is at no risk. Otherwise, I will have to annul your marriage myself.However, I have good news in case you fail to fulfill your duties. If everything goes south, I can protect you by marrying you. Still we don’t know what the dragons would do, they might even attack us in retaliation!”

 

“I…” Barry was at a loss for words. What Thawne had said made a lot of sense and he knew how his people thought of divorce. It was indeed a disgrace. 

 

“I don’t need an answer now. You have a week left before this blows in our faces. I’ll let you think of what you are going to do.” There was a hand cupping his face and Barry looked into Thawne’s eyes. “If you and I end up getting married, I promise you won’t regret it.”

 

Then the man was gone. The prince stayed there, eyes fixed on the door while his mind was racing and he tried to come up with a solution. But only one thing was clear: If he didn’t have sex with Len in less than a week, his people were going to pay the price of his failure, his father included. He tried to remain calm as he left the library and seeked out the only person he could count on. The only person he could discuss this without feeling uncomfortable: Iris West-Thawne. 

 

It wasn’t difficult to find his best friend. She wasn’t a warrior but came from a powerful family, so the only place she would be was with the rest of the ladies in the embroidering room. He used as many shortcuts as possible. If the maids were talking about his non-existent sex life, he needed to avoid as many people as possible. Not five minutes later, he was standing by the door. Iris was between Nell and Kayla and Barry noticed that she was glowing. He cleared his throat to get her attention. 

 

“Barry!” Three seconds later, the prince was in a bear hug. Up close, Barry notice, the reason of her glowing was really noticeable. “When did you come back?”

 

“I’m just visiting, Iris.” They held hands until her eyes were filling with unshed tears. “I wanted to see everyone, to run with you and Wally, if that’s an option.”

 

“I’m sure these nice ladies don’t mind if I skip my embroidering, do they?” They turned to the room and the silence was broken with laughs and negatives. “Come on! Wally can’t skip training and I’m not running for a few months, but we can walk!”

 

“Walking is great. Let’s go. My ladies.” He bowed slightly and they left in a hurry. Barry was sincerely happy for Iris and seeing her was always soul lifting, but as soon as they crossed a guard - who rudely decided to stare at him - Barry was reminded of why he had looked for his best friend. “Let’s go to the river. We can talk privately there.”

 

“Is there something wrong, Barr?” Iris squeezed his forearm. “You only want to talk by the riverside when something is wrong.”

 

“Let’s wait until we are there. I don’t want anyone eavesdropping.” It was after all a sensitive matter. 

 

The river was fifteen minutes away from the house. And it wasn’t actually a river, more like a creek. Iris and Barry had found it while they were hiking when they were kids and it had been their place since then. It was highly probable that other people knew of its existence, but so far they hadn’t seen anyone there. The trees surrounding the area were old, probably the tallest of the forest, some animals wandered by but never stopped. It was shallow, thus secure for a pair of kids to play in it. Barry and Iris had loved it since the first moment they saw it. 

 

As soon as they arrived, Iris sat down with her feet in the water and she looked up to him questionly. 

 

“So, what happened?” With a sigh, Barry sat by her side. “Is it related to the rumors around the castle? Because I wouldn’t listen to those if I were you.”

 

“Yes and no. It doesn’t bother me that people know about my lack of sexual life, it truly doesn’t. But I received a visit from Councilman Thawne.” Iris opened her mouth but Barry cut her. “Let me get this out of my chest, please. He came to tell me that I have a week to consummate my marriage or he will have it annulled.”

 

“He can’t do that!” Except they both knew that Eddie’s cousin did everything by the book, even if it were awful things to do. “And you shouldn’t listen to him or you should go and talk to your father!”

 

“And tell him what? That the law agrees with Thawne? My father can’t do anything.” And for what it mattered, neither could Barry or Len. “He can do that and he will. Len hasn’t pressured me or anything but… he did ask me to make an effort, so he must know that this could happen.”

 

“Even if he does, the council can’t force him to do anything, they don’t have that kind of power.” Barry knew it but there was a voice in his head that said that Len didn’t care about their marriage enough to fight for it. “You already know that and we are still talking about this, so I’m guessing you have made your decision, haven’t you?”

 

“I have, because Thawne is right: If my marriage gets annulled, so does the alliance and how do you think dragons are going to react to that? Len has already told me that they need our hunting grounds.” Their hunting grounds were the whole kingdom. “So, there is a chance that if we aren’t allies, they will try to attack us and force us out of this forest by any means necessary.”

 

They fell into a tense silence. They knew that in theory Thawne was right. But while Barry had accepted the outcome, Iris was trying to come up with a different solution. If Barry had sex with Len, the alliance wouldn’t break off and the idea of a war between kingdoms didn’t sit right with her. Her hand rested on her abdomen where their first child was growing. If they were to go to war, Eddie was going to be on the front lines where death was certain. Not only her husband would be there, but also her father and brother. Still, there had to be another solution! One’s first time was supposed to be messy but special and Barry was a romantic to the core! 

  
  


“Talk to Leonard, he might come up with a different solution.” Even as she spoke, Iris noticed that her voice didn’t carry her usual self assurance. Barry sighed and shook his head in defeat. “It’s your first time, Barry, you shouldn’t have to do this.”

 

“But I have to. And I need your help because I don’t even know how to seduce my husband.” And Iris had gotten Eddie’s attention despite his reluctance. So he was his best option to achieve his goal. “What can I do?”

 

“Well…” Barry was convinced there was no other way to do this, he might be right and Iris might hate this, so she was going to help her best friend and pray for everything to work out. “Leonard seemed like a pretty dominant man, so be bold. That worked with Eddie so it has to work with your husband too. If he told you he hasn’t pressured you, then you have to start the whole thing. I did that with Eddie in the river and I’m pregnant with his child.” 

 

“I can’t believe you’re actually pregnant.” But he could feel it and it made something stirr up inside him. 

 

“Neither can I. One day you will be pregnant too.” They joined their hands and stayed in silence for a while. “Barry, are you going to regret this?”

 

“I hope not.” He was going to regret not telling Len though. He knew he should tell his husband about this, but if he did, Len was going to fight him about this and their marriage was strained enough already. “I have to go back soon, want to shift?”

 

“The doctor told me to avoid shifting more than once a week, so I will pass today. But I can keep you company if you want.” Barry kissed her cheek and got up to shift. 

 

Maybe he wasn’t going to run today, but being able to lay down in his wolf form with pack by his side felt invigorating. To be surrounded by the familiar smell of home, with a friendly hand caressing his fur, the sound of nature around them and the warm feeling of the sun embracing his body, Barry was at peace. His mind didn’t even wander to the urgent matter of his marriage as he was more than relaxed. He was so calm that he must have fallen asleep without noticing it. 

 

Iris woke him up after noon by the position of the sun. He didn’t morph back but decided to go back in his wolf form. Yvette was waiting for him outside the castle with a worried face. Behind a tree, he shifted back and dressed. Iris was chewing her lower lip and Barry hugged her. They both knew what it meant to have the dragon waiting for him outside the castle. 

 

“Will you come visit soon?” Iris’ voice was filled with sadness and Barry tightened his arms around her smaller frame. “I want you to be here for the birth of my son, Barry.”

 

“I will try. I promise.” He whispered and pat himself in the back when his voice came out steady. “I have to tell you everything about my seduction attempt.” 

 

“You have to.” They parted but stayed only a few steps apart. “Be careful, please, and if you decide you don’t want to do it, it’s ok to back up. I’m sure Leonard won’t judge you if you do.”

 

“I’m sure he won’t.” Barry stood there as Iris went back to the castle. He didn’t move until Yvette placed her hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “Time to go back, isn't it?”

 

“I’m sorry, my lord.” They turned around and Barry retreated to his mind. He had to plan his seduction attempt, no the seduction of his husband. He couldn’t fail if he wanted to do his job as prince of the wolves. “I’m sure the king will let you come back soon enough. Also, your father asked me to give you this and to apologise because he is in an urgent meeting. He wishes you a safe trip”

 

“Thank you, Yvette.” He stored the small bag in pocket, he knew his father would have it prepared for him as soon as he asked for it. The gift gave Barry time to think of a reply to the other part of Yvette’s words. It had taken Barry to be sick for Len to let him go outside after his visit to the Elves and Faes’ forest. Barry knew it would take a lot for Len to let him come back here soon. Though he couldn’t keep his angst from his reply. “I’m sure he will.”

 

Yvette looked like she wanted to say something but she refrained from doing so at the last moment. Barry appreciated it, he was feeling guilty already. He was also sorry enough about not being thrilled by going back to his husband’s castle. But, he knew what was expected from him, and he was tired of disappointing people. So, he swallowed his own feelings and decided to move forward. He had a few hours ahead of him to make a decent plan of how to seduce one’s husband. To start with, they were going to arrive right after nightfall, so he hoped Len hadn’t gone to bed when they arrived, because if he was going to do this, he wanted to do it as soon as possible.  

 

Once again, he was grateful that Yvette was such a quiet companion. He could focus on his thoughts and allow his body to act on its own. Soon enough they were flying back and Barry took his chance to appreciate the forest at his back. He didn’t stop to admire it until it disappeared in the horizon as he didn’t know when he was going to see his beloved forest again. Then he turned his attention forward. And not for the first time, he wished time would stop and give him a break. But time was a cruel mistress and it liked to rush when you need it to slow down. So, soon enough, the dragons kingdom was growing nearer and nearer until they were flying above its castle. 

 

Barry dismounted Yvette and he was surprised to find Len waiting for him alongside the guards. So much for trust, Barry guessed. 

 

“Barry, it’s good to have you back.” Barry wanted to reply to that, he wanted to be bitter but he had to contain himself because his agenda needed Len in his best mood. “I hope your trip was good.”

 

“It was. Though I would love to have a bath and something to eat.” Len pressed his hand to the small of Barry’s back as he took the young consort inside. “Have you had dinner?”   
  


“Nor a bath. I was waiting for you.” Once they were alone in their room, Len turned to him. “I hope you’re feeling better now.”

 

“I am. I spent some time with my father and Iris.” He didn’t mention the small bag with seeds in his robe. “Is the bath ready? Or do we need to wait?”

 

“I had it prepared fifteen minutes ago.” So, Yvette had had orders to take Barry back at a certain time. “You go first, flying can be exhausting even for experimented riders. Dinner will be waiting for you as soon as you’re done.” 

 

Barry nodded and made the decision of being done really fast. He cleaned himself as well as possible, or so he wanted to believe. But as he was doing so, an idea occurred to him. The time he helped Len with his bath, they had shared a moment of intimacy. That and Iris’ advice should create a mood for a love making session if he played his cards well.  So, once he was dry and dressed in his night gown, he went to look for Len. 

 

The King was sitting outside with a cold dinner on the table. Good. Barry hated to waste food without motive. Taking a few breaths, the wolf walked up to the king and placed a hand on Len’s arm. It seemed to startle the dragon and it caused Barry to smile, tension leaving his body a little bit. He could do this. He could do this. If he said that as a mantra, maybe he could get it to be true. 

 

“I’m done with my bath. Do you want me to help you with yours?” Bold, he was being really bold. Or so he wanted to think. Len arched a eyebrow the slightest bit and after a few seconds, he nodded with a smirk pulling up the corner of his lips. Barry could do this. “Let’s go then, before the water gets too cold.” 

 

Last time, Len had undressed himself. This time, when Len’s fingers reached for the buttons of his shirt, Barry’s hand stopped them and the young man took up the task. He could feel the sapphire-like eyes on him as the shirt fell to the floor and his hands went to the belt. And yes, Barry was blushing. Was this too much? He sincerely hoped not. As he kneeled down and undid Len’s boots and took them off with a little help from the king. The pants joined the pool of cloths on the floor. Still kneeling down, Barry chanced a look up, Len’s eyes were dark, the barest hint of blue around the blown wide pupils. 

 

“Is everything alright, my king?” He was doing this! His voice didn’t faltered and his hands were as steady as they were ever going to be. “If you’re uncomfortable, I can call a maid…”

 

“No.” Len cleared his throat when his voice proved to be too deep. “It’s fine.” 

 

Barry straightened from his kneeling position and, with Len’s hand between his, he guided the awestruck king to the bathtub. By the stool there was everything he was going to need for the bath. Even oils for after if the books were right. The king’s head rested against the back of the tub and his eyes closed when a sigh fell from his lips. Barry reminded himself that this was necessary, that he could do this and that it was the right choice for everyone. With slow motions, he picked up the soap and the piece of cloth, he wetted both items and rub them together to get a good amount of foam. While last time he had sat on the stool, this time Barry decided to kneel beside the tub for seductive purposes. 

 

Len looked at him through half lidded eyes and Barry forced himself to hold his gaze, even when he could feel his own face hot and all he could hear was the pumping of blood in his ears. As they were still holding hands, Barry decided to start there, taking his time to move the cloth from Len’s hand up to his forearm, shoulder and neck, and down to his chest. If his fingertips touched bare skin and it sent a jolt of energy through Barry, he wasn’t going to say so. He avoided any sensitive area as he went down Len’s body and the wolf smiled when Len frowned. He went up again on the other side, repeating the same process. This time though, when his hand was passing over Len’s chest, he let go of the cloth and his fingers caressed the warm skin over his heart. Barry looked at Len, his boldness disappearing as he looked for confirmation that his was alright. His husband nodded slowly and with their eyes locked, Barry’s hand caressed his husband’s nipple on his way down the dragon’s body and he had to say, he felt a thrill when Len shivered. 

 

But it wasn’t the time to enjoy himself. This was work as Thawne had put it. So, while Barry’s finger travelled down Len’s abdomen, his mind focused on counting the dips to relax a little. Though as soon as he had his fingers grazing the soft curls between his husband’s legs, his heart stop and picked up an quickened pace. He reminded himself once more he could do this. Len was relaxed in the tub and when Barry finally gathered enough courage to wrap his hand around Len’s impressive penis, he rewarded the wolf with a throaty sigh. From there on, Barry was going to trust in the books he had read so far and his instinct. With a not too tight hold on the well-endowed member, Barry moved it up and down, his eyes never leaving Len’s face as he looked for what made him feel good. 

 

Len on his part was still trying to make sense of what was going on. The kid had left yesterday without wanting to do anything with him and he had come back to help him with his bath and now this? What had happened? Not that he didn’t mind the caresses, but it was like something was missing and Len didn’t like not being in the loop. Yet, he planned to enjoy this chance to get to know each other better that Barry was offering. And well, maybe having the hatchling’s hand on his dick helped him to make that decision. Still, the kid was a virgin and he was lacking in knowledge and experience. So, being the kind soul that Len was, he decided to help him out. Carefully as to not scare Barry, the king leaned forward until they were facing each other and he put a hand over the kid’s to guide him. He was glad that Scarlet wasn’t looking away now. 

 

As his dick was growing harder and harder, Len’s eyes dropped to his consort’s body covered by that shapeless night gown, he wanted that gone. He wanted to pressed himself against Barry’s naked body, to be able to caress every edge and curve, mark him up as his. But, there was a small issue. Len didn’t know how far Barry wanted to take this. So, he stopped his hand and entwine their fingers, though his cock jerked up in protest. 

 

“Red, what are you doing?” Again, his voice sounded too rough to his own liking, no doubt it was the result of his excited condition. “Not that I’m complaining, but I don’t want to…”

 

There wasn’t a problem apparently, as Barry cupped his face with his free hand and dived in for a kiss. It was chaste at first, like the wolf was asking for something, Len didn’t care at all as he pressed forward and deepened the kiss. The dragon nibbled at his consort’s lower lip which earned him a soft gasp, and he took advantaged of it to slip in his tongue and explore Barry’s mouth to his heart’s content. 

 

When air became a necessity, they parted ways. He felt a rush of arousal when he saw Barry's eyes almost black, lips red and swollen, wet with their saliva. Hell, his dick gave a twitch with the view. He wanted to get the kid to the bed as soon as possible. Barry hand tightened in his hand. 

 

“We should move this to the bedroom, Red.” He got up not minding the water dripping from his body. He saw the kid pick up a bottle of oil. So they were going to get that far. “I will be careful, I promise.”

 

His consort nodded and relaxed slightly. Len tried to ignore that because it had been almost a month of nothing and as a dragon, this was being in front of the most valuable treasure ever. He wasn't going to fuck this up. Still, as soon as they were outside the bathroom, he tugged the nightgown to get the hatchling naked. Barry didn't resist, no, the kid helped his husband get rid of the last barrier between their bodies. 

 

The last time he had seen the wolf naked, he had been too angry to enjoy the view. At that moment, Len took a step back to admire the view. The kid blushed and it was a wonderful view as even the skin on his hairless chest reddened under his gaze. The dragon wondered what was going through Barry’s mind. Though he didn't have much time to think of that when he had the young man pressed against him and their lips crashed together once more. 

 

Yeah, Len wasn't sure he could hold back. He put his hands below the kid’s ass and lifted him so he was forced to wrap his long legs around his waist to not fall down. He was delighted with the yelp it earned him. Hell, he laughed at it and Barry’s blush deepened. He walked to the bed and kneeled on it without letting go of his precious cargo. He kissed the wolf again then and his hands kneaded his ass slowly, like he was testing the limits. Barry tilted his head back, neck in full display in a show of submissiveness. Len licked and sucked the side, right where his heartbeat was strongest and only parted when he was happy with the mark left behind. This was going to be the first one of too many. He bit the kid’s chin and growled. 

 

“So… what’s off-limits, Red?” He asked, their lips mere inches away. His question seemed to wake Barry up.

 

“Tonight,” Barry’s hands had been holding onto Len’s shoulders and they moved behind his back, blunt fingernails digging in his shoulder blades, their bodies pressed together even further. “Nothing is off-limits.”

 

Barry initiated the kiss this time, more inexperienced but just as passionate as the previous ones. The kid was a quick learner it seemed. But kissing and groping wasn’t enough for Len. No, he had been told that everything was fair play and he wanted everything. So, when they broke the kiss, Len grabbed the bottle of oil that Barry had carried to the bed and opened it, pouring a good amount on his hand. The hatchling was a virgin, that meant Len had to prepared him really well the first few times to avoid tears and bleeding, it wasn’t in his plans to make the kid suffer or regret giving himself to his husband. 

 

Barry swallowed, he knew what the oil was for, he had to go through that and yet, the tension was unavoidable. Len’s fingers prodded between his crack until they found the ring of muscle. The posture was uncomfortable for both of them, thus it wasn’t a surprise when Len turned his consort around and helped him into a more comfortable position, until he was on his hands and knees, ass up in the air. 

 

“You need to relax, kid, otherwise this is not going to be pleasurable.” Len was leaning on Barry’s back, his lips caressing the wolf’s ear with every syllable. “Can you do that for me, Red? Can you relax for me?”

 

Barry nodded twice and he did try to relax, but with a finger pressing against his entrance, not pushing, just putting the right amount of pressure, made it impossible. There was a trail of kisses from his neck to his mid back and he took a few deep breaths, forcing the stiff muscles to relax the tiniest bit. The finger was pressing more now and it went inside ever so slowly, It was a strange sensation, Barry wanted to push but he knew he had to allow it inside in a weird manner. He fisted the sheets underneath him and keep breathing deeply, in through the nose, out through the mouth. 

 

“Good, just like that, Scarlet.” Len’s other hand was holding his hip as his finger was inside to the knuckle, then out and Barry whimpered with his eyes closed. “Keep yourself relaxed. That’s it.”

 

The pressure against his rim of muscles increased and his knuckles turned white while there were more soothing sounds against his nape, the hand in his hips went from a tight grasp to gentle caressing. Barry was trying, he swore he was trying as hard as he could but the burning feeling of being stretched was foreign to him and it was weird! He whimpered and let his mind go back to what he had read, he tried to remember a way to make this more bearable. There was more oil being used, the smell of it filling the room. The fingers didn’t stop moving out and in in a rhythmic pattern, sometimes they would curl slightly and Barry would shiver, heat pooling down in his abdomen and he didn’t hate it. 

 

At last a third finger joined the other two, the hand on his hip left it and Barry looked over his shoulder to see Len applying oil to his shaft though his eyes were on Barry’s backside, frowning in concentration. So, that was it. He didn’t look at Len’s length, he had already seen it and he knew how big he was, he wasn’t going to chance another look if it might scare him. He had to do this, he had to for both their sakes and their kingdoms sakes. 

 

“Are you sure you want this, Barry?” The hand was again on his back and the wolf had to focus his will to not tremble like a scare child. “You can back up and nothing would change.”

 

Oh, if only his husband knew… If Barry didn’t do this, if he decided to back up now, Thawne would annul their marriage and their people were going to suffer. Barry’s body was the price for peace and it was a price he was more than willing to pay. Thus, he nodded, not trusting his voice, and buried his face between his forearms. He wanted to be done though, as soon as possible. Len kissed his nape when his fingers left Barry’s body. Then something different was pressed against his stretched hole, it was bigger than a finger indeed and Barry had to hold his breath. Slowly, making stops every once in awhile, Len started to thrust into him. Inch by inch, his inner walls gave out to Len’s penis until he was buried completely. 

 

And Len had never felt so good in his life. His dick was being oppressed by the tight ass, surrounded by hot and slick walls of muscles that pressed against him in a delirious way. He waited a few seconds like that and then he pulled out, admiring the way Barry’s asshole seemed to twitch once it was empty. How rough could he get? His body was aching for slamming it in, and well, he did. Barry rewarded him with a loud moan when his cock pressed against the consort’s prostate. He repeated the process a few times to finish stretching the kid’s hole. Then he settled for a more paused rhythm, not less forceful, but more paused. He made sure to hit Barry’s sweet spot every time he rammed his shaft in. 

 

Soon their bodies were covered by a sheen of sweat, the room filled with their moans and the sound of wet skin hitting against wet, naked skin. And wasn’t it wonderful? To be able to do this again - and so soon - after their wedding? Len was in heaven, buried balls deep in Barry, earning with each thrust moans. He put his hand around the kid’s torso and lifted him until the young man’s back was pressed against his chest. This way the penetrations were deeper and the new position allowed Len to suck on Barry’s neck, leaving a trail of marks. But it also allowed him to wrap his fingers around the wolf’s half hard cock and jack him off. He was a generous lover, he wanted his consort to enjoy their sex life too. 

 

After what seemed like hours to Barry, his body was filled with heat and thrill, it tensed like a bow string and he was orgasming, cumming in his husband’s hand shamelessly. Len felt him tightened to impossible lengths and he was cumming too, filling the kid up in an obscene way. One, two, three pumpings later and he was done. Only his willpower kept him from falling onto the bed, his arms holding the lax Barry’s body against his. His softening dick slipped out of Barry’s body and a dark side of Len wanted to put the kid onto his knees to see the strechted hole with his cum dripping from it. He didn’t do it though, that would be disrespectful, wouldn’t that? 

 

“Are you ok?” Barry’s eyes were closed, his cheeks flushed, his lips still red and swollen, parted to allow gasps to fall from them. “Scarlet?”

 

He kissed the kid’s jaw and nibbled at it from time to time. It gave Barry the time he needed to catch his breath. Also, it gave him time to get his brain back online apparently. 

 

“I-I’m f-fine.” He confirmed at last. His hand came up to cover Len’s. “W-was it good?”

 

“It was. Why don’t you rest for a bit? I will get something to clean us.” He finally let go of Barry and allowed him to lay on the bed. If Len stopped a second to admire the view, well, nobody was there to judge him and Barry was out of commission. “I will request more oil too.”

 

When he came back from the bathroom, Barry was sleeping, curled inwards, his legs up against his chest. It was a delightful view. They should try it again like that. Hell, his dick was already hardening at the thought of laying behind the kid and thrusting into him like that. He cleaned Barry up and lay behind him, an arm thrown over him under the blankets. Tomorrow, as soon as they woke up, he was going to do it like this. 

 

“Goodnight, Scarlet.” Now that Barry had given himself to Len, Len was going to have sex with Barry as much as possible. 


	7. Shadows Lurking Around the Corner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thawne makes his move and Len is devastated by the truth of his marriage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like un utter bitch. I'm not sorry. And this chapter sucks bullocks. Things won't get better. I'm sorry though for any typos, mistakes and word of advice, don't break your laptops, cellphones or whatever while reading this. 
> 
> WARNING: Slight smut, not graphic enough and rape attempt.

**Shadows Lurking Around the Corner**

 

Barry woke up with the sunlight showering their room. Len was laying at his back and if his fingers tracing shapeless figures on Barry’s hip was anything to go by, he was already awake. Barry had to will himself to remain still and his breathing calm, even when all he wanted to do was to run away and cry a river. His heart was heavy with guilt. He had tricked his husband into having sex with him while withholding information as to why they were finally consummating their marriage. He wanted to turn around and confess, he should do it because on one side they had agreed to communicate, on the other side, Len didn’t deserve to be taken advantage of. 

 

Except Len’s erection was pressing against his lower back. If he turned around, what would Len do? He had every right to demand Barry to do his ‘job’, to spread his legs and just take it. He couldn’t say no if Len asked him to have sex again. A kiss was pressed against his shoulder and Barry tensed as all his questions were answered. The hand on his hip had stopped moving and it was holding Barry down. Len looked at him, his eyes were dark once again, the blown wide pupils were screaming lust and Barry moved to lay on his back, legs slightly apart in a way that he hoped was inviting. His husband smiled at him, he propped himself on his elbow and kissed the young man slowly with a hand cupping Barry’s jaw.

 

“Are you tired, sore?” It hadn’t crossed Barry’s mind, but as soon as Len mentioned it, he noticed how sore he was. It wasn’t a bad soreness, it felt more like he had been running for too long. 

 

“A little sore, yeah. But that’s normal, isn’t it?” He tried to laughed it up. Mostly because it reminded him that, despite the fact that he had enjoyed himself last night, he had done it for a reason. “Now our marriage has been consummated.” 

 

“Not important.” Len’s hand was still moving, this time on his abdomen. “Do you want to go at it again now or do you prefer to wait until tonight?”

 

It was nice of Len to ask him, but Barry knew it didn’t matter what he preferred. He didn’t want to do it again until he was truly ready. Still, he couldn’t say so. He was terrified of Len’s reaction. Thus he nodded instead. It made his husband laugh though. Which was a good sign. A hand slipped between his thighs, fingers caressing the inside without pushing them apart, just enjoying the smooth unmarked skin underneath it. Suddenly, Len was straddling his hips and Barry couldn’t help it but stare into those impossibly blue eyes. 

 

“New limits after yesterday, kid?” His heart skipped a beat as he tried to say something. The truth should be a good beginning, but he shook his head instead and Len was kissing him, his wolf almost purred at it. “Good.”

 

Len was planning on taking the kid apart, make him beg for release and since they weren’t on a hurry, he planned on doing exactly that. He had woken up early and he had given the order to the service to leave them alone, breakfast and bath to be forgotten until they asked for it. He had also cleared his agenda for the day, Lisa would take over in case there was an emergency. There hadn’t been anything important waiting for him so nobody was going to complain if he took the morning to ravish his consort. Hell, that was what people expected him to do! So, he dived in for a slow kiss, just a taste. It was amazing how after one time he felt addicted, drawn to the kid. 

 

“I plan on wrecking you, kid.” His hands skimmed down his waist and held onto his hips. He thrusted into him, their dicks rubbing slightly and he was glad that it got him a shiver in reaction. “I plan on taking you apart until you can only remember my name.”

 

“Len…” It was a sigh. Barry closed his eyes and Len kissed him again, this time more passionately. 

 

Len then passed to his neck, sucking on the skin greedily and let go with a pop, he stopped to admire the red mark on it. Barry’s body shuddered and pressed against the bed. With a hand, Len pushed Barry’s legs open and placed himself between them. He had the oil bottle close and he took it to start prepping his consort. With a trail of kisses, Len went down, making  a brief stop to taunt the wolf’s nipples. First one and then the other, he bite them and sucked on them until they were red and hard, just to lap at them which earned him a series of whimpers. He focused his ice power on the tips of his fingers and draw shapeless figures along Barry’s side, admiring the way his consort reacted to the cold. He rubbed Barry’s hipbones. He drank in the whimpers and keens that left Barry’s swollen lips. What to do next? 

 

“P-please…” The plea surprised Len, he hadn’t done anything yet! Barely exploring the kid’s body to be honest. What surprised him the most was to find tear-filled eyes looking down at him. “Just do it already, please.”

 

“Is it too much?” He forced his powers to withdraw into his core and rubbed his hands together until they reached a normal temperature. “I thought you might enjoy the foreplay.”

 

“I just,” Len gave the kid time to take a few deep breaths. “I just want you now, please.”

 

He wanted to believe that those words were uttered with earnestness, but something nagged at the back of his head, well, more like part of his brain was screaming at him that Barry didn’t want him at all. He swallowed and moved back. Barry jerked up and his eyes were filled with something dark, bad dark, like fear and desperation. It was Len’s turn to breathe deeply. 

 

“Do you want this, Barry?” If the kid said no or shook his head, Len was going to be mad at himself for not noticing, but that wasn’t something Barry should be afraid of. “If you say no, we won’t do anything. Though I will have questions.”

 

The night before the kid had been all in, he had trusted Len with his first time and enjoyed - at the end, ok, but he had enjoyed it. So, if now Barry said he didn’t want Len to have his wicked way with him, it was obvious that the dragon was going to inquire, he would have a thousand questions that needed an answer. Starting with why would the wolf give himself to Len one time and refuse him the pleasure of having him again? He couldn’t have such bad luck. It was like having tasted heaven to be thrown to the deepest hell. And he wasn’t going to go down without knowing why he was being pushed away. 

 

“I do.” Again, that nagging feeling. “I really do, but… can we do it like last night, please?” 

 

“Don’t you want to try new things out?” He ignored the feeling. Barry had promised to talk to him, so, he was going to believe in that promise and well, if he got to fuck his husband, that was another upside of ignoring whatever was bothering him. “I really want to fuck you as you were yesterday, laying on your side, your legs against your chest and your ass in display for me and only for me.” 

 

Barry blushed furiously and ducked his head at the crude words uttered by his husband. He remembered when Len had left him in bed and he had curled inwards. He had heard the pike of Len’s heartbeat and the smell of arousal filling the bedroom once again. Barry had been surprised, he had read that men had a refractory period between orgasms, yet Len seemed ready to go for a second round. But Len wasn’t going to accept his coy behaviour now that they were talking about having sex once again. 

 

“Look at me, Barry.” He grabbed Barry’s chin and made him lift his face until their eyes met. “I want to fuck you in any position men have invented, as much as our bodies can take. What do you want?” 

 

Barry was looking at him like a deer in front of a dragon, his face was pale and his eyes were filled with unshed tears and Len’s stomach clenched at the view. Still, he kept his face blank, he waited for his consort to answer him and he prayed for whatever the kid was going to say to be the truth. He needed to believe that the kid was going to trust him and be honest with him, otherwise, this marriage would be an utter failure. 

 

“I want you.” No hesitation. Barry closed his eyes and sighed. “It’s all I want, I don’t care how, but I want you.” 

 

“Alright.” Len took a few seconds to think. On one hand, his brain was telling him to back down, to move away as fast as he could. On the other hand his dick was screaming to give in. The kid was giving him a go for it and he might need to deny this to himself. Except he didn’t want to. This young man was his to take and ravish, he wanted to have sex with his consort and his consort was saying ‘yes’. Then why did it feel like it was a ‘no’? “Then let’s do it.” 

 

He leaned forward and kissed Barry slowly, a promise of what was going to happen from now on and Barry, Barry had no other choice but to accept it. His body was there, underneath Len, taking everything his husband threw at him but his mind, his mind was miles away and his heart was buried deep within him, weeping for its owner. The wolf side of Barry was in ecstasy, more than willing to submit to the dragon holding him close, to give himself to the man pounding into him, to abandon any human thought, to roll over and claim the king as his in any way he could think of. All of it made Barry sick and he closed his eyes to the world, held as tightly as possible to the blankets and let his body do its job. 

 

When it was all over, Len rolled to his side with a smile. Barry looked at him and he couldn’t find a reason to feel anything for the man except pity. He had accepted to marry Barry just to be used as a puppet. Eobard may be the mastermind behind everything, but it was Barry who pulled the strings, hurting Len and using him without his consent. He wondered if, in the case that Len found out about everything, the dragon could find it in himself to forgive his consort and maintain the alliance. Because that was all that mattered between them and Barry wouldn’t forgive himself if the alliance was called off because of his actions. 

 

“Are you ok, Scarlet?” There was worry in his husband’s words. Barry forced himself to smile and nod. “We still have time for round two if you’re not too tired.” 

 

His heart was racing, his body ached in places it wasn’t used to ache and still, Barry nodded once again. This was the least he could give to Len all things considered. He was surprised though when Len manhandled him until Barry was straddling his hips. There was a smirk pulling up his lips. 

 

“You’re a sight to behold, kid.” His hands were kneading Barry’s asscheeks and he felt his face heat up. “Do you think to can manage like this? You think you can ride me this time?” 

 

Barry reminded himself that this was the least he could do for Len. What the dragon deserved to have because Barry was playing him. And he nodded. Len helped him through this new experience and he was grateful, even if part of his soul was dying with each moan that left his lips, with each shudder and keen, each whine and cry of pleasure. Len was attentive and gave him as many orgasms as he could and Barry ended up falling upon his husband, breathless and boneless. 

 

“I think it’s time for us to have something to eat.” Len said that, but they didn’t move at all. Barry was looking to the side of their bedroom, still laying on top of the king, while the king - unbothered by the dead weight - caressed every inch of sweaty, sticky skin he could reach. “Red?”

 

“I want to sleep.” The chuckled that earned him send vibrations through Barry and he found himself smiling. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be. This was truly amazing.” Len couldn’t help but notice that the kid was a fast learner, willing to try things out and still something was off. For now, he decided to ignore it because dragons were sexual creatures and he had missed sex too much to even act logically about the situation. “But if we want to do this again soon, we need food. Rest while I ask the staff to bring us something to eat and water to wash ourselves. Though you look ravishing with my cum dripping from you.” 

 

It was so crude and it made his wolf whine in desire. Hell, Barry could feel Len’s member twitch and he would swear that his hips were moving on his own. It cause Len to growl. Barry decided to move and lay by his husband’s side instead of on top of him. Len’s eyes were dark as he stared at him. For a few minutes they stayed like that, in silence and just watching each other. Len was the one to break the moment with a frown. 

 

“I better go and get something to eat and wash, otherwise, we are going to faint during our next round.” Barry took a deep breath when the king put on a robe and left the room. 

 

The absent of his husband left Barry time to think. He needed to keep doing this for as long as it was needed, even if it meant forever. Leonard Snart was his husband and Councilman Thawne was right. It was his job to spread his legs for his husband. The young man tried to make peace with the fact that if Len wanted to have sex with him every day for the rest of their lives, he had to accept it because they were married and at some point they were going to need an heir. An heir. He hadn’t thought of that. And he wasn’t going to do it now, they had years before talking about having a child together. 

 

He wasn’t going there. No. He was going the other direction. He had to do a job, he was going to do the job. Len was never going to find out about why Barry was having sex with him now, not even a month after their wedding. Councillor Thawne wasn’t going to annul their marriage and the alliance would go on as if nothing had changed. Except that things had changed and Barry didn’t know if he was going to be the same man he was before getting married to the king of dragons. To be honest, he knew he wasn’t going to be the same man he had been, but he didn’t know how far he was going to change. Or what the outcome was going to be. 

 

“They will bring everything now, you might want to cover, Red.” Len’s voice startled him and Barry hurried to put on some clothes. “I like you so much better when you’re naked.” 

 

“Thank you.” And Iris had said that boldness was what he needed. “You… you also look better when naked.”

 

“Sweet talker.” The maids interrupted their chat and Len strode past him to sit at the balcony. “Thank you, Ella. And I’m sorry for delaying so much our breakfast.”

 

“Nothing to be sorry about, my lord.” Ella was the kitchen manager and she was always happy to give food away. “Helga is bringing some boiling water so you have time to eat properly.”

 

Barry sat in front of Len and they ate in silence, sometimes Len would feed Barry and Barry would do the same. It didn’t go unnoticed how they gravitated towards each other to the point that they were suddenly sitting side by side. Len took the chance to kiss his consort while his hand untied the knot of Barry’s robe. 

 

“We should go inside…” A breathless, red faced Barry pushed away first. “People m-”

 

“People won’t see and if the see they won’t care.” Len lips were sucking on Barry’s neck, in that spot behind Barry’s ear that made the kid whine from the back of his throat. “We have time to fuck again before washing up.”

 

“We need to talk about this, Len.” When his body wasn’t reacting to the dragon’s caresses, his wolf decided on its own. “W-we ha-have to ah, god!”

 

“Found your sweet spot.” Len was towering over him, two fingers inside Barry’s body, not moving but pressing against his bundle of nerves. “We can talk later, now I want you again.”

 

Len moved Barry’s body like it was a doll: his ass was on the edge of the chair, his legs were spread open and lifted so they were resting on the armrests and then there was Len, Len was everywhere, his thighs pressed against Barry’s leg, his arms were caging Barry’s upper body and the rest of him was covering Barry from unwanted eyes. The chair wasn’t high enough but apparently it worked for Len as his penis was pressing against Barry’s entrance. With a sole thrust, Len was buried to the hilt in him and Barry’s back arched as a low moan fell from his lips. 

 

“Do you still want to talk?” Barry shook his head and gave in to the abandon that had allowed him to do this the other two times. “Good boy.”

 

And his wolf didn’t roll over at those words. He didn’t. No, no, Barry was going to deny it to his dying breath. He held to Len’s shoulders for some leverage as the king pounded into him like a thirsty man that had just found the most delicious beverage. He should stop making those comparisons. A sharp pain brought him back from his musings and when he turned his face, he saw his shoulder bleeding slightly and Len’s satisfied smile. 

 

“You bite me?” It was breathless and Barry’s wolf found the whole thing way too hot. “Len!”

 

“Now you’re mine and people will know it.” A few more thrusts and Barry was tossed over the edge. “Only  _ mine _ .” 

 

“Only yours.” It wasn’t Barry’s answering, no, that was all his wolf submitting to the king, to his king and Barry’s human side would have to come to terms to that when the wolf weren’t in control. “Yours, yours…”

 

Though Barry had to admit that watching Len coming apart as he filled up his consort was a sight to behold. On one side was the awe of seeing such a powerful creature with his jaw going slack as he roared up to the sky, ice forming around the zone that his hands were touching and the temperature around them dropping several degrees. On the other side was the warm, calm feeling of skin pressed against skin, of hot cum flooding the deepest part of Barry’s body and too sharp eyes focused on Barry’s own. For a second, Barry and the wolf were one and the same, both lost in the beauty and raw power of the ice dragon that rule all dragons. 

 

The moment was broken too soon though. Len’s limp dick slipped out of Barry and the raw emotions coursing through the werewolf forced him to close his eyes. He had handed over the control to the wolf for too long. It was the only way he could follow through with his consort duties but the aftermath was devastating. He felt dirty, used and nauseous. And they way Len’s hands wandered around made his skin feel tight in a bad way. But it was Len’s words what made him feel like the worst scum on Earth. 

 

“I’m really proud of you, Scarlet.” Because there wasn’t anything to be proud about! Barry had used Len in a way that nobody should be use! “I thought you weren’t going to make any efforts for this to word but, here we are. You’re such a wonderful young man, Barry, and I’m really proud of you.” 

 

“I-I need to go wash.” His chest felt heavy, his soul ached with guilt and self-loath, his eyes stung with tears and his voice was trembling. This wasn’t how he wanted their relationship to go. 

 

“Alright, go.” Len helped him get up from his position and watched him go. At first he admired the naked boy, the curves and edges, the softness he could still feel under his fingers, the marks he had left over and over again. Then he noticed the way Barry moved. He was as tense as a string, trembling as well. “Barry, are you ok?”

 

“Y-yeah! Just sore.” The nagging came back to Len. There was something wrong, something he wasn’t being told. “I’ll be right back.”

 

Len wished the feeling of uneasiness would go away. But with each passing heartbeat, it only increased. Barry was hiding something, again. It didn’t sit well with the dragon because last time, the consort had ended in the infirmary. But, how could Len make Barry trust him enough to share whatever was bothering him? He had tried everything he could think of! Except… Except giving him what the wolf needed most: a forest. 

 

It wasn’t something impossible to do. He could get a dragon to act as Barry’s mean of transportation. He could give Barry a dragon that could fly as fast as possible and take him - whenever he wanted - to the forest. If it weren’t because it was impossible for Len to be comfortable with the idea of his consort in that forest. Furthermore to grow a forest closer to the castle would be counterproductive. It would take too long, it would be a threat to his kingdom’s safety and it would also be empty. A forest wasn’t made just with trees. He needed to plan it carefully if he was going to give a forest to his consort. 

 

As he sat down, there was a knock on the door. With a frown - and not wanting people walking on them naked -, Len put on a robe and opened the door. Lisa was standing there, arms crossed and her normally plump lips drawn into a thin line. That meant problems. 

 

“Your Lords don’t want to work with me today.” That was… new. Lisa was a very capable leader, she was the princess and thus her education had been the same as Len’s. “They say that it’s a ‘matter of great importance that only concern the king’. They want to see you now and I’m here to tell yo- Hey, Barry!” 

 

“Lisa, what a pleasant surprise.” Len didn’t turn around, he hoped his consort had put on some clothes. “Is something the matter?”

 

“Just politics and idiots being idiots. Are you still coming with me today?” He was being ignored! Len growled. “Just get dressed and go, Lenny. I’ll see you downstairs, Barry, my job is done for today and Cait and Mick are training.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll see you downstairs in a minute.” Len closed the door after that. He had hoped to have his consort for himself today. “The water is still hot.”

 

“Thank you.” Len wasn’t proud of his stomping towards the bathroom. Yet, he enjoyed the giggles coming from Barry. He wished he could have stayed with the young man and get some answers or cause that sound again. Instead, he was going to be in a meeting with old men. 

  
  


The wrong feeling kept growing the whole day. Len had just a couple minutes in his long day of meeting - useless, boring meetings - to ponder about what was causing the feeling. He knew it had something to do with Barry and deeply down he knew what was it, except he didn’t want to accept it. But as dinner was approaching, he knew he had to talk about it with Barry. What had he done during sex that would provoke the kid to regret it? Because he wasn’t an idiot. First night was a success, day after not so much? Had the kid forced himself to do it? Was he trying to get something from his husband and he thought it was the best option? 

 

Maybe because his train of thoughts was so dark, it was a surprise to find the kid sitting in front of the fireplace with dinner in front of him and several books by his side. The king’s heart skipped a beat at the sight. Barry was dressed in a thin, almost see through nightgown, the light coming from the fire made it even more translucid. The kid’s skin glimmered and his cheeks were dusted with red. Had Len been wrong about his consort? No, he knew he hadn’t been. Still, part of him needed him to be wrong. The part of him - mostly his dick - that needed Len to be wrong, wanted to push Barry against the rug and fuck him again and again and again until they couldn’t move. The other part - his brain - knew he had to talk to the kid.

 

“Good evening. How was your meeting?” He could indulge for a few more hours, couldn’t he? Barry looked ravishing and eager to please as he served dinner from a common plate. Very seductive for a dragon. “I thought we could enjoy dinner inside tonight. That way we could discuss certain topics.”

 

Barry had decided that as long as the wolf could keep up with Len, as long as the wolf wanted to take control during their sexual activities, he could give Len what he wanted. It was cunning, not something he wished for their relationship, but something he had to have. Otherwise, Len would be disappointed on him and their alliance was also at stake. So, he had taken out his father’s books, prepare an evening in and after he had discussed those with his husband, he would let the wolf out. After all, his inner animal was already mauling his insides to be given the reins and devour his king.

 

“Boring, but necessary I think.” The Lords had wanted to know his plan to get an heir to the throne or at least name Lisa his heir in case the worst came upon them. “The Lords are a bunch of old, ignorant men. How was your day?” 

 

He disregarded his clothes and joined his consort. By the looks of it, they were going to end like that anyways. And having the werewolf blushing at the sight of the older man naked was a nice plus. Len picked up a piece of meat and offered it to Barry, his eyes never left the kid’s mouth as he leaned forward, parted those sinful lips and ate from his fingers. If he was painfully hard, it wasn’t his fault. 

 

“It was entertaining. But I was hoping to talk to you.” Barry’s eyes went to the pile of book by his side. “If you don’t mind.”

 

“Oh, so you seduce me in order to get my attention to those.” The dragon wanted to kiss the young man, those books looked important though. “What are those anyways?” 

 

“I asked my father about hunting on wolves’ land and he agreed but only if you were willing to study those and understand how we hunt.” Barry opened the first one and offered it to Len. Len wasn’t having any of that and manhandled the kid into taking the space between his legs. He decided to ignore the way Barry tensed for a second. “L-len… this is important.”

 

“Oh, don’t worry. I just wanted to have a better view.” And their position gave him the best view: Barry’s body under the nightgown. His hands found their place around the kid’s middle section. “So, you were saying?”

 

“This is the record we keep for our hunting. You can see here and here that the amount of hunts go down during summer and winter, but it goes up in spring. If you want to hunt, I would recommend asking my father to allow it for the next month.” Barry did his best to ignore Len’s wandering hands, he tried to keep himself still instead of pushing away like his whole body was screaming for him to do. 

 

“I can go over that with Clyde tomorrow, he is leaving for a hunting trip soon anyways.” His hands found themselves going under the gown, seeking smooth skin. “Now, why don’t we have dinner and make good use of this rug?”

 

“I wanted to ask you something else?” Len stopped himself from groaning. Barely. And nodded against the kid’s shoulder. “My father gave me a few seeds, in a few years they would allow a tiny forest to grow. I was wondering if there was any chance for me to… well, to use them outside the castle walls? I promise it won’t be big, just enough for me…”

 

Barry was giving him a puppy look, he was all big, pleading eyes, teeth chewing on his lower lip and hell if it didn’t cause a reaction in Len that Len didn’t want to feel when discussing his people’s safety. He had to be a ruler above everything else. And he wanted to say no, to argue but those eyes. 

 

“Let me think about it, kid.” That got him a small smile. “But I can’t make any promises.” 

 

“Considering it is enough for me.” Barry entwined their hands and there was a change in his demeanor. “Let’s have dinner now and you can take your time to give me an answer.”

  
  


Time passed like that. Len would teach Barry the ways of pleasing him. Like Len had anticipated, the kid was a quick learner but he was disappointed when after a week of constant sex - even offfice sex and boy, wasn’t that a day to remember - Barry had yet to initiate one of their sex marathons. But, after the first night, Len was always the one to seek his consort and no the other way around. At least the feeling of wrongness had gone away after the first days. It bothered Len, but he wasn’t going to look too much into it. There were more important things on his plate. Like the Lords acting like spoilt kids because he wasn’t going to give them what they wanted. It was understandable though. If he decided to share with the Lords Barry’s ability to get pregnant, they would ask for more and more, starting with at least an heir in less than a year - or something stupid like that - and things would scalate from there. Barry was still nowhere near capable of withstanding that kind of heat. And he rather have the kid just enjoying sex with him instead of worrying about getting pregnant. 

 

So, he enjoyed every day he had with Barry to the fullest. Meaning he had sex in several positions, several times in a row, and he wasn’t going to be ashamed for it. Dragons were sexual creatures, they liked to enjoy the pleasure of the flesh even more than treasures. Ok, that was too much. But that was the gist of it. He loved to make his young wolf scream in pleasure, beg for more when he felt like teasing, to make Barry cum with Len’s name falling from the young man’s lips like a prayer, and just hold him close afterwards. It was a way of saying ‘This one is mine’. Barry was more than pleased about those afterwards cuddles. Life was good now. And Len was going to make sure that it stayed like that or even better. Barry deserved it after all the effort the kid was making for their marriage’s sake. 

 

However and unknown to Len, Barry was having a hard time. He wasn’t unhappy per se, but he wasn’t happy either. On top of that, he was scared. Even after they had consummated their marriage, Barry still felt terrified of what could happen. So, the day that marked a week since his trip to his father’s land, Barry breathed easier than ever. Nothing had changed, Thawne hadn’t showed up at all, thus his marriage and the alliance were secured now. So, he went on with his normal duties feeling he could actually do this whole marriage thing. Things between Leo and he were good - or as good as things went based on lies -, the kingdom seemed a little warmer after a month living here and honestly, Barry was starting to get how things worked among dragons. Caitlin was a wonderful teacher after all. 

 

He should have known that it wasn’t but an illusion, the calm before the storm. Right before lunch, a manservant stopped him just when he was leaving the throne room with a frown. It wasn’t normal for servants to be upset, they had a good life here. Barry was also picking distress signals and it rubbed him the wrong way. 

 

“What’s the matter, Ruben?” The servant, barely a kid, looked over his shoulder and around, checking for something or someone. 

 

“My lord, you have a visitor from your father’s kingdom. He wants to meet you in private.” His heart skipped a beat, his breath hitched slightly. “He is waiting for you at the library. Do you want me to go get the king?”

 

“No. It’s alright. Tell Princess Lisa that I will be late for our lunch together, please.” He tried to ignore the way the servant was looking at him and walked to the library. All his senses were screaming at him. Every step closer to the library was like a jolt of new signals. When he opened the door to the library, everything became silent. “Councilman Thawne.”

 

There, in front of Barry, hands behind his back, confident on his power, stood Eobard Thawne with a smirk and a dark glint in his eyes. He was dressed in normal clothes, all in black with a few touches of yellow here and there. Nothing Barry had seen on the councillor. 

 

“Hello, your highness. You look well.” barry could almost see the mockery dripping from Eobard’s lips. “You smell even better now that you have successfully slept with your husband.” 

 

“I have. The alliance is now secured.” Barry followed Thawne’s movement at the same time he willed his heart to calm down. “Like you wanted.”

 

“Yes. Now it’s time to move to the stage two of our plans.” The younger wolf couldn’t even frown at the statement before he was shoved against a bookcase. His head was smacked against a shelf and his back was going to be bruised, but he wasn’t concerned about that. He looked at Thawne because he hadn’t seen the man move at all and in less than a second he was pressed against Barry’s body. “My partner and I need you alive, thus I’m not going to kill you, but we need your cooperation.”

 

“You…” Thawne was fast, faster than he had ever been and there was something in his eyes. They weren’t blue anymore but red, though it was like watching lightning flashing inside those eyes. “What…”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain but I need you to spread your legs for me now.” The hand that had been around Barry’s neck was now wandering down to the hem of the prince’s shirt. “And keep quiet.”

 

“No, stop!” Barry hadn’t finished his sentence when his shirt was torn to pieces and Thawne pressed harder against him. “Councillor!”

 

“Just shut up. You’re a whore, you should be used to bend over and I, we need you to do so. Bend over and take it until you’re pregnant with our child.” Barry didn’t have time to process what he was being told before he was smacked against a table, his head banged against the hard wood and his sight became blurry, his ears were ringing and his stomach churned. “I’m going to love this part.”

 

There was movement behind him and Barry tried to fight back to the best of his capabilities, he clawed at the man pressed against his back, he screamed at the top of his lungs but Thawne wasn’t only faster, he was also stronger and soon the young man felt his rapist’s shaft against his hip. A hand moved from his middle back to the front of his pants, Barry’s eyes stung with unshed tears and his screaming became a series of whimper and broken sobs. 

 

“Please, don’t do this, please.” He begged while his pants were pushed down. “Please, Thawne…”

 

“Shush, you should used to this and it’s a privilege to bear a speed demon’s offspring.” Thawne licked at his tears and Barry saw him smiling. “You’re going to be the perfect bitch from now on, I promise you that.”

 

“No!” He yelled and pushed back, which earned him another bang against the table. This time though, his vision wasn’t blurry, no, it started to dim and black spots to appear. “Len…”

 

Barry’s body gave up and he welcomed unconsciousness like the bless it was, because it allowed him to avoid having memories of what Thawne was going to do to him. As it happened, the door was opened with a bang and two figures launched their attacks. Eobard wasn’t prepared for that and he was launched back with a gust of wind, his body slammed against the far wall of the library. When he looked up from the floor, he growled at the Mardon brothers with their hands upfront, ready to attack again. Eobard smiled and move forward. He hadn’t expected to be kept away from his prey just by the older brother. 

 

“Clyde, take the prince!” The younger one raced towards the unconscious boy and took him bridal style. “You are going to regret this.”

 

“No. You will.” Eobard dashed to the side and moved his hand so fast it was blurring. He underestimated the pair though went the next gust of wind was a glacial one that froze his legs. “Son of…”

 

“Not so fast no, are we?” Eobard screamed and got ready to attack once again. 

 

“ _ Stop, Eo. _ ” The aforementioned stopped at the new voice. “ _ Get out of there now before it’s too late. More people are coming. _ ”

 

Taking advantage of the shocked state of the men in front of him, Eobard run away, passing by and promising to come back again for his prize. He also needed to have a few words with his partner as soon as he was back to their lair. He wasn’t going to put a hold on their plans now that they were so close to it. He was going to take Barry Allen, get him pregnant, kill the kings and took his rightful place as ruler of the kingdom with the young prince at his feet as war prize. 

Once he was gone, the older Mardon turned to his brother and looked at the young consort. There was blood on his forehead but not injury, that fast did wolf heal. Coming from both sides of the corridor, people were running. Mark took off his coat and covered the prince. Then he barked order to anyone: get the king and Shawna, soldiers were to search for the intruder, a message had to be sent to King Henry to question him about one of his people… During all that, Barry remained blissfully unconscious, unaware of what had happened. 

  
  


When Barry came out of it, he found himself laying on his bed. Len was sitting by the bedside. Barry’s eyes filled with tears as he looked at Len. Everything came rushing back to him and he wanted to know, he needed to know what had happened. Though his mouth refused to utter the words. Len, sensing the distraught state of his consort, sat on the bed and held the kid’s hand.

 

“Hey, you’re ok.” He knew without words being said what was going through the boy’s mind. “Mark and Clyde arrived on time, nothing happened.”

 

The tears were filled with relief as Barry curled against Len’s lap. His husband’s fingers comb through his hair and kisses were pressed against the top of his head. For what seemed hours, they stood like that without words between them. 

 

“What happened, Scarlet? The Mardon arrived just on time but what happened?” Barry looked up at him. It was the moment, his moment to tell the truth. If everything had been a plot, Len needed to know. “Scarlet?”

 

“I l-lied to you.” He sobbed unable to meet his husband’s eyes. “Everything has been a lie and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

 

From there the words just came out and Barry confessed. He confessed everything from the trip to his father’s land, Eobard’s demands, the sex between them being just part of his plans for something bigger, Barry giving himself but not entirely, letting the wolf side of him take control when they were having sex because the human part couldn’t do it without feeling like what he was, a whore performing, then he finished with what had happened in the library, what Thawne had told Barry and Len took all that in a stride. When Barry finished, silence stretched between them. The wolf dared to look up and he was devastated with the look in Len’s face, the betrayal and disgust. Fresh tears rolled down his face. 

 

“You… I raped you.” The feeling coming from Len was so overpowering that Barry couldn’t put a name on it. “I raped you and you let me because you thought I would attack the wolves?”

 

“I’m sorry.” He tried to convey everything he was feeling in those words. 

 

“No. I am. I’m sorry you think so little of me. I’m sorry we have been living a lie because you couldn’t bring yourself to share your concerns with me. I’m sorry you think we need to play this sick game of lies and deception. I’m sorry for believing you could make a true effort to save ourselves from an empty, cold marriage.” Len got up and walked to the door. “I’ll have the service prepare a room for me so you don’t have to share this room with someone you obviously don’t trust or like, kid. Rest now and we will talk tomorrow about what’s going to happen to this marriage.”

 

“Len…” Barry got up, ready to beg for Len’s forgiveness, but the dragon wasn’t going to have any of that and left before the prince could begin. There was no point to it.


	8. Misfortunes Always Come in Threes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry has some news for Len. And misfortune keeps following him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I'm sorry it took so long to update. I'm going to try and go for monthly updates - unless I can hurry up and write more and more each day. However and in case I don't have anything new for you before the year is over... MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!! :D 
> 
> WARNING: Triggers in this chapter, tags have been updated to fit this new chapter. Italics are letters - I might use a few from now on so I need to tell you. 
> 
> I want to thank anyone who has taken time to write a review or leave kudos, I'll be replying to all of them in the following days :) I cannot even begin to express how much it means to me, how much this support help me and make me want to write even more fanfics - not just this one -. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> PD: Some can explain to me how to add a picture from my PC? I want to share with you a gift I was given but I'm useless xD

**Misfortunes Always Come in Threes**

 

The morning after the attack, Barry woke up alone in his bed. Len hadn’t come back the night before and it was strange. No, his mind corrected him, it was strange waking up alone and that it caused his heart to ache because of it. Len was always there in the mornings, no matter how late he stayed in his office, he always was there in the mornings to have breakfast with Barry. So, the consort forgot about his morning bath and dressed in a hurry. He had to find Len as soon as possible.

 

His pace was hasty as he left his room. His first choice to look for Len was his office, but it was empty, then he checked the throne hall and the gardens. By that point, his breath was uneven and his nerves were wrecked. So, he stopped a maid and asked her about his husband’s whereabouts. Once he was pointed into the right direction, he took the shortest path towards the dining hall. Unlucky him, Len wasn’t alone. He was having breakfast with his sister and her partners. They looked surprised to see him standing at the door. 

 

“Barry!” Caitlin was the first one to react and she crossed the room to hug him as quick as possible without running. “I heard what happened yesterday! Are you alright?”

 

“Y-yes. I just…” How could he word it? I was stressed because Len wasn’t in bed with him when he woke up? “I wasn’t expecting it.”

 

“Good to hear you’re alright, kid. Lisa, would you see Cait and me off to training?” Mick got up but didn’t follow the brunette, no, his eyes were on the king. 

 

“Of course. Lenny, pleasure to have you share breakfast with us again, I will see you later for our meeting. Barry.” She stopped by her side and hugged him tightly. “I’m so glad Mark and Clyde got to you on time.”

 

“Me too.” The wolf nodded towards the fire dragon in acknowledgement. He didn’t turn towards Len until they were alone. Except that as soon as he was facing his husband, all the words disappeared from his brain.

 

Len was waiting for him to talk though. The king was still sitting at the table, food forgotten and eyes fixed on Barry’s. The younger man took a few steps until his feet were glued to the floor and he was forced to take a deep breath.

 

“I want to apologize, Len.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Why hadn’t he thought of something to say. “I know you’re disappointed in me because I had to be saved yesterday. I promise you it won’t happen again, I won’t be so careless.”

 

“We have bigger problems than that, Barry. Way bigger. The first one is that you think I’m disappointed because you almost got rapped and had to be saved.” Len wasn’t moving for him spot but he ducked his head. “I’m more concerned about what you confessed to me than about that incident.”

 

“Len…” Barry took another step and Len held up his hand stopping any attempt Barry might make to get closer to him. “I didn’t know what to do and I don’t know what to say now to fix this.”

 

“Heh… that’s the thing, Barry, there is nothing to fix. We are married but everything that has happened so far is based on lies and disappointment. You don’t trust me and I don’t know if I can ever trust you again, I don’t know if I want to trust you again.” Len got up and walked up to Barry. “I wanted this to work, I wanted us to have something real, but instead I raped you, you let me but that doesn’t change the fact that I raped you once and again, kid. Now I have to live with that and I need time and space to figure out what’s going to happen now. I’ll sleep in another bedroom but I promise you something, I won’t treat you poorly. I hope you can promise me something too: If you find yourself in a situation like this one, come to me and let me help you.”

 

“I-I…” What was he going to say to that? Len had every right to be mad and he wasn’t, he had every right to hate him and he didn’t. No, the king was just asking for something as silly as Barry’s trust and willingness to go to him if he encountered any trouble. Except Barry didn’t know him, didn’t know if he could trust the dragon and maybe he would if it weren’t so difficult. “I promise I will try my best.”

 

“Ok. Then I will see you for dinner here if you want, if not, you can ask the staff to get dinner to your room.” Having said that, Len left the room.

  
  


_ Dear Iris, _

 

_ I’m sorry I haven’t been able to go visit you. I know it has been two months already and I know I promised to visit as much as possible. But a lot has happened during these two months. So much that I don’t even know where to begin with. I suppose I should start with the beginning since it isn’t the saddest part of this letter. Though to be honest, everything seems sad after these two months so, maybe starting at the beginning it’s the best way to tell you everything about these past months.  _

 

_ After I came back, I had a ‘blissful’ week. At the time it was the worst week of my life. Len wanted to have sex all the time and I couldn’t refuse without explaining what Thawne had ordered me to do. I was terrified of his reaction, I thought he was going to divorce me! I should have had a little faith in him. It would have saved us the trouble that came afterwards. But going back to the topic at hand. He was careful and kind, he was a generous lover - I guess, he is the only person I’ve ever been with - and tender. He didn’t push me to give him more than I was willing to give. Still, I was giving him all he asked from me because I thought it was only fair.  _

 

_ However, that only lasted a week. Thawne came to visit me. I guess you already know it. My father sent a message with everything that he knew about him. But maybe you don’t know all of it. He tried to rape me. He said it was all part of his big plan with his partner. I was saved by the captain of Len’s army and his brother. I was unconscious for that part, but I was told afterwards. I’m really grateful they were so fast and they could save me. However, some days I wake up and I feel like maybe I deserve to be punished because as soon as I came back to my senses I confessed all my sins to Len. I told him everything from the start.  _

 

_ You’re probably going to guess the next part: he got angry, he was disappointed and hurt. I hurt him with my lies and I feel really guilty. The damage was done though. As soon as he left, he asked to be put into another room and we barely talked to each other for weeks. The worst part wasn’t even that. No, the worst part was that he was still really nice to me. He didn’t punish me like I deserved. He let me go outside, he assigned a dragon to take me to the forest at least once a week - more if I needed it - and he still worked with me to ensure our jobs weren’t jeopardised. He is nice like that. I deserved the disgrace of him divorcing me, but he didn’t even mentioned it.  _

 

_ And during those weeks, I felt more miserable than ever. I shouldn’t have to. But I felt horrible. My brain was alright, but my body ached. It was craving Len’s touch. My wolf was acting up like I hadn’t shifted in days, but it wasn’t like that. I was shifting, I was still married, the alliance was not in danger and my life was good. It didn’t stop there. I started to present symptoms. I was nauseous all the time, food that I loved suddenly made me vomit, I became dizzy even after the slightest physical effort, I was tired all the time… It took me a while to even suspect what was happening. So I looked for the Drago root. It wasn’t hard to find and I brought some with me. I immediately put it to dry and I gathered the courage to do what I should have done weeks ago.  _

 

_ I wanted to fix what was wrong between me and Len, and that’s what I tried to do. Once we were alone, we talked. I apologized and begged him to come back to our room. I asked him to give me another chance, to prove that we could work out if we tried seriously. He hasn’t accepted yet. He said he wasn’t going to sleep next to me for as long as I didn’t want to be with him, he promised me he wasn’t going to touch me until I was truly ready for it, until I asked for it sincerely. I almost cried at his promise. I’ve tried so hard to be a good consort, still, I don’t know what to do anymore.  _

 

_ As you know, it takes the root a few weeks to dry completely but part of me knew what the result would be. I cannot tell Len until I have a confirmation, until I have something to show him. Right now I understand my symptoms, all of them, and I can’t wait to share the news with Len because I know he is going to be as thrilled as I am. I’ve been keeping it a secret from everyone. _

 

_ However, I can say it here. I can share this with you because if I happen to be wrong, I will tell you immediately. If I’m right, I want you to be the first person to know. Iris, I think I’m pregnant. And if I am indeed with child, I need you to know that I want this. Even if it was unplanned, if this child is born without his parents loving each other, I’m sure it’s going to be loved because I love him already. I feel this urge to protect him and cherish it despite the fact that I might be wrong. I’ll let you know more once I can confirm it. I promise.  _

 

_ Yours, _

 

_ Barry. _

  
  


Iris was sitting by the window in the embroilment room. She was reading the letter that had been sent to her two weeks ago. With her slightly curved abdomen, she was glowing and she always had a smile on her mouth after the letter from her friend. She counted the days until a new letter arrive with more news. Though Iris was already making plans for their children to meet and be friends, just like their parents were. She hadn’t share the information to anyone. She, just as Barry had said, didn’t want anyone’s hope to be crushed in case the Drago root tea turned green instead of blue. She just wished time would move faster so she could know!

 

Unknown to her, Barry was preparing himself to take a bath while the root was boiling on the fireplace. Since Len was still sleeping in another room, the prince was taking his sweet time to get ready. The fact that he was excited wasn’t helping either. But he bathed and enjoyed the warm water, had something to eat and once he was dressed and ready to leave. He took the Drago root tea from the fireplace and looked at it for a few seconds, his nerves making it hard for Barry to breathe. Yet, he didn’t hesitated. The needle break his skin and a few drops of blood fell into the tea, mixing beautifully with it. Suddenly, the red colour fading within seconds. It went white first and then it turned into a bright blue. Barry covered his mouth, tears rolled down his face and a hand went to his middle to caress his abdomen. He was pregnant. Barry was pregnant! 

 

His first instinct was to announce it to the whole kingdom, hell! He wanted the whole world to know it! Still, he knew there was one person that needed to be the first one to know it: Len. He placed the cup on his bedside table and left the room. His husband was supposed to be at his office, so that was the first place he checked. Except the room was empty. Without letting the disappointment get to him, Barry wandered around the castle as he checked every place he could think of. Len was nowhere to be found. Who Barry did found was Lisa. The princess of the dragons was outside, sitting under a tangerine tree with a sad expression on her beautiful face. 

 

As Barry walked up to her, his nose picked up the lingering smell of fire and ice and his eyes went around, searching for Caitlin or Mick, but they weren’t around. Maybe that was what was causing such sadness to his sister-in-law. Her gaze was fixed on him once he was about three steps away and the smile that his presence caused didn’t reach those eyes. 

 

“Good morning, Barry.” She patted the spot beside her and Barry sat right there. “I thought I would see you this morning.”

 

“Good morning, Lisa.” He picked a tangerine flower from Lisa’s curls. “What happened this morning?”

 

“Well, your husband and my partners left this morning. Didn’t Len tell you about it?” Len left? Barry’s face must have told Lisa that he was in no way conscious of that piece of news because she kept going. “Marcus’ wife is due any day now, so he, Cait and Mick left with Clyde today for a hunting trip. He is going to be gone for a few days. So, it’s going to be you and me, dear brother.”

 

“A hunting trip? Where to?” First time he heard anything about this and Len was talking to him regarding their duties as king and consort!

 

“Somewhere in the North, I didn’t ask how far they were going or where to especifically because I knew that if I had that information I was going to go after them.” Lisa was conscious enough to know that she was unable to be without her partners longer than a few hours! She was too used to have them in her bed every night! “I thought that by now you would have fixed whatever problem my brother and you have.”

 

Barry played with the grass between his fingers. Len and Barry had been acting as normally as possible for the sake of the people surrounding them. If anyone asked, the reason why Len was sleeping in another bedroom was because of the attacked Barry suffered. No one had to know the truth and well, they acted as normal as possible when in the presence of people. With a sigh, the wolf decided that he needed to trust these people more and Lisa was a good start. 

 

“My record with your brother is spotty at best and I guess that my last stunt was also the last straw. I didn’t just lie to him, tricked him into sleeping with me because Eobard Thawne told me that if I didn’t do it, he would annul our marriage. Your brother saw it as he raping me and since I told him the truth, he wants to keep our relationship as professional as possible.” Which he understood perfectly. 

 

“So… you’re telling me you had sex with my brother because you were forced to do so and my brother decided he raped you. Whoa… what a mess!” Lisa was scandalized except Barry had the feeling it wasn’t because of what he had just told her but because of something else. “Men can be such thick headed idiots!”

 

“What?” Barry was honestly lost. 

 

“Look: you both were used by an evil werewolf, instead of joining forces to get the bastard that tried to actually rape you, you’re both idiots who can’t talk this out and figure out a way to fix your relationship. I’m actually impressed with the amount of stupidity.” Mick had acted the same once. However, Mick had Lisa to put him in the right path and Len and Barry only had each other. “If you don’t figure out a way to work together, to live together and give each other what you need, your life is going to be miserable, you’re going to hate and resent each other and trust me, that life sucks bullocks.” 

 

“Your brother doesn’t trust me, and I don’t know him enough to trust him either! We are complete strangers that are married because it was politically convenient, Lisa.” How was he supposed to find some common ground in his circumstances?

 

“Then do the most sensible thing in your situation: Get to know each other, find it in your heart to trust my brother and get him to trust you too. I can help you if you want!” They had from three to four days to come up with a plan. “I’m not telling you to love each other, I know that falling in love is almost impossible at this point, but how do you think the kingdom is going to move forward if you’re both stuck in a mistrust relationship?”

 

There was a lot of truth in what Lisa was saying, Barry knew that much. Still, it was hard to think of… wait. There was something he and Len could use to move forward! Their baby could be - as heartless as it sounded - what they needed to learn to trust in their relationship.

 

“Ok, you’re right. I told my father dragons and wolves weren’t that different and I know it’s true. Also, I accept that I’ve been acting like a spoilt child since I arrived here and Len deserves better.” Lisa nodded at his words. “So, I need your help to fix this. Please.”

 

“I’ll help you because you two deserve to be happy.” Lisa hugged him and for the first time since he had arrived to the dragons’ land, Barry didn’t feel alone at all. 

  
  


On the day Len was supposed to arrive, Barry had everything figured out. Lisa was going to send his brother to Barry’s room as soon as he landed and the wolf would have prepared a nice breakfast for two. At the same time, Len’s schedule was free for the day, so the two of them would have a picnic near the forest - the kitchen staff would have everything prepared and Maria would fly them both there but she wouldn’t wait for their date to be over. Finally, they would walk by the forest and talk - Barry was going to share the good news with Len and he was confident that his pregnancy would be a starting point in an actual relationship with the king. By nightfall, they would return to the castle and have dinner with Lisa and her partners. If everything went smoothly, Barry would ask Len to share his bed, not in a sexual way, just cuddles. Cuddling was good for bonding. 

 

Except that when Barry woke up, he did drenched in cold sweat. Something was wrong and he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. Deciding that a warm bath would solve it, he went to the bathroom. The bathtub was already prepared, no maid or manservant there to help him as he had requested. He did feel better after a bath and he was organising the dishes served by the service while he was still in the bathroom. There was a roar outside that signaled the arrival of dragons. Barry didn’t have to be out there to know it was the hunting squad arriving at the castle. The nagging feeling he had woken up disappeared to be replaced with nervous anticipation. 

  
  


Meanwhile, outside the castle, Lisa was waiting impatiently for her brother to show up. She had her part to play but she was also anxious to see Mick and Cait. They had been gone for three days without any communication between them. It was weird and her heart was aching to drag them to their room and just hug them and then punish them for leaving her behind. So, she was mentally counting the seconds it took for her partners to land. The first one was Cait, her smaller frame made it easy for her to find a spot. Once she landed, Lisa was by her side. It took less than a second for Caitlin to reform and in a blink of an eye, the ice dragon had her woman between her arms. 

 

“I’ve missed you, Cait.” She whispered. As a princess, she couldn’t make out in front of everyone. “You and Mick were naughty by leaving me behind.”

 

“I’m sorry. You know that Mick and I are a pack deal when it comes to mission and he wasn’t going to let your brother leave to a meeting with another ruler without proper back up.” Mick on his part was landing a little farther behind. “But we’re home. That’s all that matter, right?”

 

“It is. I’ve got to deliver a message to Len, then we’re going to spend the whole afternoon in our room.” When Lisa looked over Cait’s shoulder, Mick was already there in all his glory with a mischievous smile. “Hi there, hottie.”

 

“Lis.” While Lisa and Cait were all about protocol outside the walls of their little haven, the fire dragon didn’t give a fuck about it and he proved it by kissing Lisa passionately. 

 

“Mick, I don’t think that’s proper behaviour.” The drawled words uttered by his brother brought Lisa back. “Good to see you, sis.”

 

“Hey, big brother.” Lisa hugged the king and took note of his wandering gaze. “If you’re looking for Barry, he is waiting for you in his room. He wants to have you for himself all day, so you better hurry up.”

 

“Is there…?” Len wanted to ask but he was embarrassed to admit that he was mildly terrified. 

 

“Nothing wrong, he just missed you.” Lisa didn’t need words though, she was an expert in reading Len’s body language and silent wording. “Me too, but he needs to talk to you as soon as possible so hurry.”

 

Len nodded and left the three of them to whatever they were going to be up to. Normally he would have to hurry to his office and deal with whatever his kingdom needed him for. But since that fateful night two months ago, Barry had been one of his top priorities. Maybe the young wolf wasn’t conscious about that, but he was in danger. Eobard Thawne hadn’t done a move since he tried to rape his consort, but it didn’t mean that he had given up. And since he was still at large, he was a threat. So, while Len wanted to take a step back and let the kid grew comfortable, get better after being forced to have sex with his husband and help rule one kingdom, Len had to stay close enough to protect him as well. 

 

So, even in their own way, they had fallen into a safe routine. Len was close, was kind and approachable in order to keep Barry feeling in control and at the same time, he was protective, watching Barry’s every move from a perfect spot. If he had chosen to put two or three soldiers following Barry everywhere, Barry would have possible fight him and endanger himself further. Len had taken the smartest decision there, had got a win-win situation. Still, Barry hadn’t asked to spend time with the king - their time together was always planned or necessary, never wanted - and it came as a surprise to find out that Barry had actually requested his presence in his private chambers. 

 

Len stood in front of the door to Barry’s room for three seconds before knocking and it took Barry opened in less than a blink of an eye. They hadn’t seen each other in three days but the older man smiled when he saw the kid. Barry was smiling brightly, hell he was almost glowing with rosy cheeks and open body language. 

 

“Hey, sorry I wasn’t out there to receive you.” Len shrugged at that and Barry moved to the side. “I wanted to have everything ready for our day together. Though you might had other plans…”

 

“Not really.” The table was set for two. There wasn’t a lot of food, but if the picnic basket was anything to go by, they would be having a second breakfast soon enough. “Mind sharing your plans with me?”

 

“Sure. First we are going to have breakfast, then Maria is going to fly as to the forest. We are going to be hungry by then, so we’re having picnic before going for a walk. I want to show you my favourite parts of the forest. They are nowhere near the frontier with the Elves and Faes’ lands so, nothing dangerous. Lastly, we come back and we have dinner with your sister, Caitlin and Mick.”

 

“Sounds go. Shall we?” They sat by the table. Barry was practically chewing his lower lip as he served breakfast. “How have you been?”

 

“Well, Lisa has helped me a lot these three days to make sure you didn’t have a single meeting today. It was interesting. How was your hunting trip?”

 

“It wasn’t an actual hunting trip.” Len was trying to set an example and being open with the kid. “I went to a meeting with the changeling group by the North. They are seals so they hunt mainly in the ocean, but they are trying to move closer to our lands. I wanted to know if we were going to have any problem.”

 

“What’s the verdict?” Changelings weren’t prone to kingdoms but tribes so it was hard to deal with them without previous knowledge. 

 

“They are thinking of joining clans, seals and whales and they need more space for that. Once we talked with them and explained the situation, we were able to find a new solution for them.” Barry nodded and his eyes wandered to the forest. “Is there a problem?”

 

“No. No, nothing is wrong. I’m just happy you could figure out a way out in such a short amount of time.” With a frown, Barry tried to think of a way to bring his pregnancy onto the table, but there wasn’t an easy way out. “Listen, Len, I need to tell you something.”

 

“Go ahead.” Len’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. 

 

“I guess I should have come up with a way to tell you this before planning this date.” The wolf couldn’t help but smile slightly. “So, here I go: I’m pregnant.”

 

“Excuse me?” Len felt like he was going to faint at the same time the corner of his lips tugged up. “You’re…”

 

“Pregnant. Roughly two months along. I noticed something strange going on with my body a few weeks ago but I wanted to be certain of what it was. Let me explain: when a wolf is pregnant, their body ask for contact, pack contact. It’s a way for the pup to bond with the pack even before it’s born. I took the Draco Root test the day you left and I was going to share the news but you were gone by the time I had the results.” Barry took Len’s hand and squeezed it slightly. “I want this to be a new beginning, Len. I know it’s selfish of me to ask but… I really want this baby to be born into a family, a pack, not a cold, political marriage. I’m not asking for love, just something more.”

 

“We’re going to be parents.” Barry had to laugh at that because Len seemed stuck into that part still. “Sorry. I agree with you. You’re right that we should try for the sake of our child. Clean slate?”

 

“Clean slate. We have being doing this the wrong way all along, so why don’t we start with dates? Get to know each other and move from there.” It was left unsaid but they needed to learn to work on a different level, to create a pack for their little one. “Maybe when the baby is born we can actually be the pack he or she needs.”

 

“Alright. Then, I propose a change in your plans. Why don’t we stay here, we can lay in bed all day since your body needs contact and we can play a little game? Twenty question each with only honest answers.” First they needed to finish their breakfast and go through the picnic basket. 

 

“What about the forest?” Maria was probably waiting for them!

 

“We can do that tomorrow. Now it’s important that we start with a solid base of mutual knowledge.” Len kissed Barry’s knuckles. “Finish your meal, you need it more than a stressful fly outside and I’m tired of it.”

 

“Alright. But tomorrow you have a meeting with the lords, Len.” It had been pushed back as today was supposed to be their day. “Unless you want to delay it even more.”

 

“If I get another day off, I’m on board.” They finished their meals pretty quick. Len took that time to think of things he wanted to ask Barry about. “I hope you have your twenty questions ready, Scarlet.”

 

“I think I do. Do you want to go first?” Len moved them to the bed, he positioned himself as the big spoon. Barry lay down by his side and they fell into a comfortable position. 

 

“No, you go ahead.” He had a hand over Barry’s abdomen, fingertips drawing shapeless forms. He could feel a very small bump, not like a baby bump but like Barry was really full. “I’m interested in what you want to know about me.” 

 

“I will start with the easy ones.” Barry put his hand on Len’s forearm, squeezing it reassuringly as if telling him that it was ok for him to touch his consort. “Like how old are you?”

 

“Odd question to start with.” Len snickered with his nose pressed against Barry’s nape. “I’m really old, more close to two thousand years than I’d like to admit.”

 

“So, you’re basically a cradle-robber.” His husband’s reply was to press himself harder to Barry’s back. And the wolf decided to drop the matter if it was such a sore spot for the dragon. 

 

As the questions came and went, Barry found himself learning more and more not only about Len but about his family, dragons in general and his plans for the future of their kingdoms. It was really interesting how he planned to spend a few weeks every few months in wolves’ land once King Henry passed away. It was going really ahead of himself and Barry laughed at it. Without any of them realising it, dinner time came and there was a knock on the door. 

 

“It must be Lisa wondering why we aren’t in the dinner hall.” Len opened the door and to his amusement, it wasn’t Lisa standing there but a maid with dinner and an impressive blush. “Leave it on the table and thank you, María.” 

 

At least they were dressed this time. María lay down dinner for them and left in quite a hurry. And dinner went by like the rest of the day had with questions coming and going, the twenty questions limit being basically ignored in order to get to know each other better. Barry wasn’t surprised when he learnt that apart from being fiercely protective, Len was kind and bright, maybe a little too control freak but even with that, it was nice, not creepy controlling and possessive like some books seem to believe dragons were. Afterwards, Len claimed to be too tired to do anything else beside going to bed and they cuddled once more. Barry fell asleep with a smile in his lips because Len hadn’t left his side once during the day and had decided to share his room once more, even if it was just an exception, the wolf in him was calm for the first time in months.

  
  


It should have been a quiet, restful night if Barry hadn’t woken up in the middle of it with a painful gasp falling from his lips. He hadn’t even jerked up, muscles stiff. When the pain seemed to subside, the young consort left the bed and went to the bathroom. He just wanted to wash his face and neck, take a few seconds to calm down. Except that he never made it to the bucket of water, instead his body was washed by a new wave of pain and he groaned, hand around the edge of the bathtub to steady himself. His vision was spotty and there was a metallic smell in the bathroom. He smelt it before he saw - or felt - the blood. It was just a red string making its way down his leg. His eyes wouldn’t move from the it as it was going down his thigh, his knee and his calf. Another wave of pain and he was on his knees, legs unable to support him anymore and he whimpered. 

 

Barry’s panic state made his vocal cords unable to move, he was petrified, eyes glued to the blood as its volume became more and more prominent with each cramp in his lower abdomen. The wolf wasn’t an expert or anything but he knew what was going on and he knew that with help he could make it through, still not a single word came out of his lips. His eyes filled with tears as he remain laying on the floor, arms holding onto his midsection. And he cried. He cried for himself, for Len and for the lost life of their unborn child as he was suffering - alone and in the dark - a miscarriage. 

  
  


Hours passed by before Len woke up. His consort wasn’t in bed with him and he cursed when he noticed that Barry’s side was cold. He had been so tired of flying and meeting that he hadn’t even realized it when the hatchling had left his side. With a quick glance around the bedroom, he noticed the bathroom door closed. So the youngling was there, probably taking a bath - something they had forgotten about the previous night. The maids had probably brought the water while he was still out of it and the next round of staff was probably coming up in a few minutes with breakfast. He just hoped that Barry would hurry up so Len could bath too. It was best if they left early to the forest if they wanted to spend the day there. 

 

A knock on the door later and he opened the door - yeah, even kings did that from time to time - expecting a large tray of food. Instead, two maid were standing there with two buckets of warm water each. His mind hadn’t finished processing everything by the time he had slammed open the door to the bathroom. The view sent him into a frenzied autopilot. 

 

“Barry! Go get the doctor!!” Both maids dropped the buckets and ran off to fetch the doctor. “Barry!”

 

When he got Barry in his arms, the wolf whined quietly, his eyes parting slightly and fresh tears rolled down his stained cheeks. Len wiped them away in an effort to avoid looking at the drying blood stains. 

 

“Barry?” The kid was pale but Len was certain that his life wasn’t in any danger. “Barry, what happened?”

 

“I-I’m s-sorry, Len…” Had he fallen while Len slept? No, he would have woken up if his consort had fallen down. “I’m s-so, so…”

 

“Shh… Shawna is going to be here any second now, you’ll be alright, kid, both of you.” His promise sounded empty and he hoped, he sincerely hoped that Shawna could do something for Barry and their child. Otherwise, Len didn’t know how he was going to live with himself. “Hang on, please, just hang on.”


End file.
